first-come, first-served

A form of first come first served — 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)
  1. alternativeuncountableAlternative form of first come first served
Cite this entry
APA

first-come, first-served. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/first-come%2C%20first-served

MLA

“first-come, first-served.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/first-come%2C%20first-served. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “first-come, first-served,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/first-come%2C%20first-served.

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