as in originally
in the beginning
firstly, gather all the ingredients together
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Recent Examples of firstly
Its success leads her to rebel, firstly through passionate love affairs with women and then by reclaiming her authorship.
—
Radhika Seth, Vogue, 9 Feb. 2025
Meissner is unique among current film market directors for her perspective on the circuit having worked as a film sales agent for two decades, firstly for Celluloid Dreams and then Memento.
—Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 5 Feb. 2025
For the outgoing, 82-year-old president, the challenge is firstly to manage the federal response and, secondly, to give voice to public sorrow and angst about the events.
—Niall Stanage, The Hill, 8 Jan. 2025
Simon Johnson has spent the majority of his career as a sports reporter since 2000 covering Chelsea, firstly for Hayters and then the London Evening Standard.
—Simon Johnson, The Athletic, 3 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for firstly
Radhika Seth, Vogue, 9 Feb. 2025
Meissner is unique among current film market directors for her perspective on the circuit having worked as a film sales agent for two decades, firstly for Celluloid Dreams and then Memento.
—Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 5 Feb. 2025
For the outgoing, 82-year-old president, the challenge is firstly to manage the federal response and, secondly, to give voice to public sorrow and angst about the events.
—Niall Stanage, The Hill, 8 Jan. 2025
Simon Johnson has spent the majority of his career as a sports reporter since 2000 covering Chelsea, firstly for Hayters and then the London Evening Standard.
—Simon Johnson, The Athletic, 3 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for firstly
Recent Examples of Synonyms for firstly
Adverb
-
Hedges originally named it Leptotyphlops carlae after Carla, but subsequent genetic and morphological studies placed it in a different genus within the same family.—
Scott Travers,
Forbes.com,
23 Apr. 2025
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Source: The National Weather Service This story was originally published April 22, 2025 at 5:39 PM.—
NC Weather Bot,
Charlotte Observer,
23 Apr. 2025
Adverb
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The Clearwater Ferry was started in 2015 and was initially privately owned, according to the Tampa Bay Times.—
Christopher Cann,
USA Today,
29 Apr. 2025
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Ipswich crumbled but succeeded initially; better teams can do so for longer.—
Harry De Cosemo,
Forbes.com,
28 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Firstly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/firstly. Accessed 4 May. 2025.
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