first come, first served
idiom
variants
or first come, first serve
—used to say that the people who arrive earliest get served or treated before the people who arrive later
The campsites are first come, first served, so we'd better get there early.
The campsites are assigned on a first-come-first-serve basis.
"Aren't there any cookies left?" "Sorry—first come, first served."
Examples of first come, first served in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
State forest campsites are first come, first served.
—
Jenna Prestininzi, Freep.com, 31 July 2025
Registration is not required, but seating in the library’s program room is first come, first served.
—Anne Gelhaus, Mercury News, 27 July 2025
All sites in the North Unit’s Juniper Campground are first come, first served.
—Gary Stoller, Forbes.com, 11 June 2025
General admission tickets cost $79 and standing room entry is first come, first served.
—Brian Niemietz, New York Daily News, 22 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for first come, first served
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Jenna Prestininzi, Freep.com, 31 July 2025
Registration is not required, but seating in the library’s program room is first come, first served.
—Anne Gelhaus, Mercury News, 27 July 2025
All sites in the North Unit’s Juniper Campground are first come, first served.
—Gary Stoller, Forbes.com, 11 June 2025
General admission tickets cost $79 and standing room entry is first come, first served.
—Brian Niemietz, New York Daily News, 22 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for first come, first served
Cite this Entry
“First come, first served.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/first%20come%2C%20first%20served. Accessed 19 Aug. 2025.
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