in the first place

phrase

1

—used at the end of a sentence to indicate what was true or what should have been done at the beginning of a situation

We should never have gone there in the first place.

I didn't care much for the job in the first place.

2

—used when listing the most important parts of something or the most important reasons for something

I'm not going to tell you because, in the first place, it's none of your business, and in the second place, you would tell everyone else.

Examples of in the first place in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Democrats know what drove those voters away in the first place — cost of living, rent, grocery bills, public safety and a sense among working families that the party talks past them and even down to them. — Bradley Honan, New York Daily News, 8 Nov. 2026

And the cutesy play call on first-and-goal at the 1 — the one that put the interception in play in the first place -- was completely off the mark. — Scott Fowler, Charlotte Observer, 8 Nov. 2026

But this argument overlooks why the amendment was necessary in the first place. — Chicago Tribune, 8 Nov. 2026

So most clinicians need regular education, both to remain successful on the job and to get hired in the first place. — Elaine Appleton-Grant, NPR, 8 Nov. 2026

Rhymes for in the first place

• aromatase
• oligoclase
• plagioclase
• polymerase
• streptokinase
• triphosphatase
• abase
• airspace
• apace
• backspace
• biface
• birthplace