as in originally
in the beginning firstly, gather all the ingredients together

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Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of firstly As Cao and his colleagues note, however, there is something strange about the population of hypervelocity stars; firstly, their speeds max out at around 435 miles per second, even though our calculations suggest this should be only their average velocity. Ron Estes, MSNBC Newsweek, 31 Mar. 2025 Diego Simeone could spring some surprises with his line-up, firstly by standing by goalkeeper Juan Musso despite question marks over his performance in the first leg. Sam Leveridge, Forbes.com, 31 Mar. 2025 Its detection means that, firstly, JADES-GS-z13-1-LA produced enough high-energy radiation to excite its neutral hydrogen, and secondly that there was little neutral hydrogen between the galaxy and Earth to block the Lyman-α photons from reaching us in the present. Paul Du Quenoy, MSNBC Newsweek, 26 Mar. 2025 Now, the Democratic Party’s institutional failure to focus firstly on the economic security of working families has had epic consequences. John Samuelsen, New York Daily News, 11 Feb. 2025 See All Example Sentences for firstly
Recent Examples of Synonyms for firstly
Adverb
  • The pilot episode, originally airing as a standalone special, included some very special guests.
    Angela Andaloro, People.com, 7 Aug. 2025
  • The cost was originally estimated in 2018 at $124 million, with a $100 million stake by the Indiana Department of Transportation and contributions of $12 million by Fishers and Hamilton County.
    John Tuohy, IndyStar, 7 Aug. 2025
Adverb
  • The first Trump administration initially continued the Housing First approach, praising the model.
    Nathaniel Meyersohn, CNN Money, 14 Aug. 2025
  • While this may seem pricey initially, the company has shown remarkable earnings momentum, a rapidly growing customer base, and is making significant strides in the booming cryptocurrency sector.
    Trefis Team, Forbes.com, 14 Aug. 2025

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“Firstly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/firstly. Accessed 20 Aug. 2025.

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