in the first instance
idiom
formal
: before other events happen : as the first thing in a series of actions
You will be seen in the first instance by your own doctor who may then send you to a specialist.
Examples of in the first instance in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Without order and national solidarity, there can be no liberty—let alone license—in the first instance.
—
Josh Hammer, MSNBC Newsweek, 27 Aug. 2025
How much leverage Ukraine has in the first instance on the battlefield, and ultimately, in turn, how much leverage Ukraine has at the diplomacy – at the diplomatic table.
—NBC news, 17 Aug. 2025
During this time, Ukraine would require ironclad security guarantees from the West, likely by European forces in the first instance.
—Miriam Sapiro, Time, 15 Aug. 2025
The talks were attended by some U.S. officials via video link, the Wall Street Journal reported, adding that European powers offered a counterproposal for talks with Russia that would in the first instance demand a ceasefire.
—Bloomberg News, Boston Herald, 9 Aug. 2025
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Josh Hammer, MSNBC Newsweek, 27 Aug. 2025
How much leverage Ukraine has in the first instance on the battlefield, and ultimately, in turn, how much leverage Ukraine has at the diplomacy – at the diplomatic table.
—NBC news, 17 Aug. 2025
During this time, Ukraine would require ironclad security guarantees from the West, likely by European forces in the first instance.
—Miriam Sapiro, Time, 15 Aug. 2025
The talks were attended by some U.S. officials via video link, the Wall Street Journal reported, adding that European powers offered a counterproposal for talks with Russia that would in the first instance demand a ceasefire.
—Bloomberg News, Boston Herald, 9 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for in the first instance
Cite this Entry
“In the first instance.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/in%20the%20first%20instance. Accessed 4 Sep. 2025.
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