as in originally
in the beginning
firstly, gather all the ingredients together
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Recent Examples of firstly
Um, firstly, thank you everybody for, for, for coming and joining us today for this conversation.
—
Outside Online, 21 Jan. 2026
The resurgence of trends that were popular back in the 1990s came firstly as quite the surprise.
—Kaitlyn Yarborough, Southern Living, 30 Oct. 2025
Santo Domingo was wearing two hats at the event, firstly representing the Bird on a Rock collection, for which Nathalie Verdeille, Tiffany’s chief artistic officer of jewelry and high jewelry, reimagined Jean Schlumberger’s iconic design.
—Miles Socha, Footwear News, 3 Oct. 2025
That's firstly true about the size of the drone itself.
—New Atlas, 17 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for firstly
Outside Online, 21 Jan. 2026
The resurgence of trends that were popular back in the 1990s came firstly as quite the surprise.
—Kaitlyn Yarborough, Southern Living, 30 Oct. 2025
Santo Domingo was wearing two hats at the event, firstly representing the Bird on a Rock collection, for which Nathalie Verdeille, Tiffany’s chief artistic officer of jewelry and high jewelry, reimagined Jean Schlumberger’s iconic design.
—Miles Socha, Footwear News, 3 Oct. 2025
That's firstly true about the size of the drone itself.
—New Atlas, 17 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for firstly
Recent Examples of Synonyms for firstly
Adverb
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New Orleans East, originally established in the nineteen-sixties as a mostly white bedroom community sprawling toward the Mississippi border, eventually became a predominantly Black area.—
Patrick Radden Keefe,
New Yorker,
13 Apr. 2026
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The $33 million expected annually for city homeless programs will be a boon, but may serve as funding backfill rather than additional money as originally intended.—
Michael Smolens,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
12 Apr. 2026
Adverb
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The bill initially exempted counties that couldn't afford the cost, but the exemption was removed after pushback from environmental groups.—
Shaun Boyd,
CBS News,
14 Apr. 2026
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This case is a reminder that even when airlines initially deny a claim, persistence — and a solid understanding of your rights — can pay off.—
Christopher Elliott,
Mercury News,
13 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Firstly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/firstly. Accessed 18 Apr. 2026.
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