first come first served

noun

A service policy or distributive rule under which access to a good, service, or decision is allocated according to the chronological order of requests or arrivals, so that earlier claimants receive priority over later ones.

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Meanings

nounfirst come first served (uncountable)

alternative first-come first-served · alternative first come, first served · alternative first-come, first-served · alternative first-come-first-served · alternative first come first serve

  1. uncountablebusinessA service policy or distributive rule under which access to a good, service, or decision is allocated according to the chronological order of requests or arrivals, so that earlier claimants receive priority over later ones.
Cite this entry
APA

first come first served. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/first%20come%20first%20served

MLA

“first come first served.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/first%20come%20first%20served. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “first come first served,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/first%20come%20first%20served.

Source: first come first served on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.