: of the first order of size, importance, or quality
first-rateness
noun
: very well
is getting along first-rate—
Mark Twain
Mark TwainExamples of first-rate in a Sentence
Adjective
wanted a first-rate bike and not the cheap model she had been using
Recent Examples on the Web
Scott Tobias, Vulture, 29 Oct. 2025
Trading for a first-rate goalie isn’t easy in today’s NHL.
—Daniel Nugent-Bowman, New York Times, 8 Oct. 2025
Sherrie Nachman, Forbes, 17 Mar. 2023
The island is known for its outdoor experiences, including first-rate scuba diving at Jean Michel Cousteau Resort, kayaking Salt Lake in Vatudamu, and hiking to see Maroroya Falls.
—Adrienne Jordan, Travel + Leisure, 3 Mar. 2023
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Adjective
With the computer system down, an ominous countdown clock up, and chaos reigning at the Park in the middle of a terrorist crisis, Whelan is shown in the opening scene of the first-rate Slow Horses finale holding court from a couch, as if in his therapist’s office.
—Scott Tobias, Vulture, 29 Oct. 2025
Trading for a first-rate goalie isn’t easy in today’s NHL.
—Daniel Nugent-Bowman, New York Times, 8 Oct. 2025
Adverb
The sushi is first-rate and the creative rolls include the Rainbow which manages to contains tuna, salmon, hamachi, shrimp and avocado.
—Sherrie Nachman, Forbes, 17 Mar. 2023
The island is known for its outdoor experiences, including first-rate scuba diving at Jean Michel Cousteau Resort, kayaking Salt Lake in Vatudamu, and hiking to see Maroroya Falls.
—Adrienne Jordan, Travel + Leisure, 3 Mar. 2023
See All Example Sentences for first-rate
Cite this Entry
“First-rate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/first-rate. Accessed 4 Nov. 2025.
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