first dibs

noun

The first choice, a preference (on something).

“The boss insisted on having first dibs on the best parking space.”

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Meanings

nounfirst dibs (uncountable)
  1. uncountableThe first choice, a preference (on something).

    The boss insisted on having first dibs on the best parking space.

Origin

From dibs (“the right to use something before anyone else”); see further etymology there.

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

first dibs. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/first%20dibs

MLA

“first dibs.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/first%20dibs. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “first dibs,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/first%20dibs.

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