foremost

1 of 2

adjective

fore·​most ˈfȯr-ˌmōst How to pronounce foremost (audio)
1
: first in a series or progression
Safety is their foremost concern.
2
: of first rank or position : preeminent
He is the foremost authority on the American Civil War period.

foremost

2 of 2

adverb

1
: in the first place
2
: most importantly
first and foremost

Examples of foremost in a Sentence

Adjective Albert Einstein is regarded by many as the foremost figure of the 20th century. wanted to speak to the foremost supervisor in our department
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Adjective
Despite Duffy’s determination to escalate plans to develop a nuclear reactorto generate power on the moon, for example, the source said NASA has lost at least one of its foremost experts in power systems. Jackie Wattles, CNN Money, 3 Oct. 2025 Goodall was known as the world's foremost expert on chimpanzees after spending decades studying them in the wild in Tanzania's Gombe Stream National Park. Charna Flam, PEOPLE, 2 Oct. 2025
Adverb
Plenty of clubs, Chelsea perhaps foremost, have spent small bounties of their own on changing their manager or head coach. Chris Weatherspoon, New York Times, 1 Oct. 2025 Keeping the locals coming is always foremost in Mendín’s mind, especially at the end of a summer during which many area restaurants have struggled. Miami Herald, 23 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for foremost

Word History

Etymology

Adjective and Adverb

Middle English formest, from Old English, superlative of forma first; akin to Old High German fruma advantage, Old English fore fore

First Known Use

Adjective

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Adverb

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of foremost was before the 12th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Foremost.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/foremost. Accessed 10 Oct. 2025.

Kids Definition

foremost

adjective
fore·​most
-ˌmōst
: first in time, place, or order : most important
foremost adverb

More from Merriam-Webster on foremost

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