in the first place

idiom

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

The academic community needs to address the root causes that drive researchers to cheat in the first place. —Cornelia C. Walther, Forbes.com, 12 July 2025

There's a purpose in providing a space just for them, just as there is a purpose in women-only gym sessions in the first place. —Toria Sheffield, People.com, 12 July 2025

Walz, also practiced in the art of deflection, kicked that one aside with the toe of his skate and agreed that Minnesotans should be angry that Republicans even invited him in the first place. —Joe Soucheray, Twin Cities, 12 July 2025

Remember that Romero was not exactly cheap when Spurs signed him in the first place. —Guillermo Rai, New York Times, 11 July 2025

Rhymes for in the first place

• aromatase
• hydrogenase
• nitrogenase
• oligoclase
• oxygenase
• plagioclase
• polymerase
• streptokinase
• triphosphatase
• abase
• airspace
• apace