Meanings
alternative 1stly
- formalnot comparableIn the first place; before anything else; first.
We'll go into more depth with all the specs shortly so anyone less well versed in espresso speak will understand what I'm harping on about, but firstly let's just talk about using the machine.
2025 May 3, Kev, “Rocket Appartamento TCA Review”, in Coffee Blog1 more example
Firstly, I continue to base most species treatments on personally collected material, rather than on herbarium plants. […] Secondly, I continue to base my concepts on intensive study of a limited suite of collections, rather than superficial study of every packet that comes to hand.
1992, Rudolf M[athias] Schuster, The Hepaticae and Anthocerotae of North America: East of the Hundredth Meridian, volume V, Chicago, Ill.: Field Museum of Natural History, →ISBN, page viiSynonyms: first, first of all, first up, 1stly, first off, in the first place
Synonyms & antonyms
adverbIn the first place; before anything else; first.
More synonyms by meaning
adverbbefore anything else
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Middle Englishfyrst-lyk
- Englishfirstly
Coined before 1475, from Middle English fyrst-lyk, equivalent to first + -ly.
More words from Middle English
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Arabic أَوَّلًا
- أَوَّلًا (ʔawwalan)in the first place
Bengali আউয়াল
- আউয়াল (auẏal)in the first place
Bulgarian пъ́рво
- пъ́рво (pắrvo)in the first place
Catalan primerament
- primeramentin the first place
Chinese Mandarin 第一, 首先
- 第一 (dìyī)in the first place
- 首先 (shǒuxiān)in the first place
- 先 (xiān)in the first place
- 最先 (zuìxiān)in the first place
- 一來 /一来 (yīlái)in the first place
Czech za prvé
- za prvéin the first place
Danish for det første
- for det førstein the first place
Dutch ten eerste
- ten eerstein the first place
Esperanto unue
- unuein the first place
Estonian esiteks
- esiteksin the first place
Finnish ensiksi, ensinnäkin
- ensiksiin the first place
- ensinnäkinin the first place
- ensisijaisestiin the first place
French d'abord, premièrement
- d'abordin the first place
- premièrementin the first place
- en premier lieuin the first place
- primoin the first place
- avant toutin the first place
German erstens
- erstensin the first place
Hungarian először, elsőként
- előszörin the first place
- elsőkéntin the first place
- először isin the first place
Icelandic í fyrsta lagi
- í fyrsta lagiin the first place
Irish ar an gcéad dul síos
- ar an gcéad dul síosin the first place
Italian dapprima, prima
- dapprimain the first place
- primain the first place
- in primo luogoin the first place
Japanese 先ず, 第一に
- 先ず (mazu)in the first place
- 第一に (daiichi ni)in the first place
- 最初に (saisho ni)in the first place
- 初めに (hajime ni)in the first place
Korean 첫째로, 먼저
- 첫째로 (cheotjjaero)in the first place
- 먼저 (meonjeo)in the first place
Latin prīmō
- prīmōin the first place
Malay pertama, semula
- pertamain the first place
- semulain the first place
Māori mātua
- mātuain the first place
Persian اولا
- اولا (awvalan)in the first place
Polish najpierw, najsampierw
- najpierwin the first place
- najsampierwin the first place
- na początkuin the first place
- naprzódin the first place
- nasamprzódin the first place
- na wstępiein the first place
- pierwin the first place
- pierwejin the first place
- po pierwszein the first place
- wpierwin the first place
Portuguese primeiramente
- primeiramentein the first place
Romanian prim, întâi
- primin the first place
- întâiin the first place
Russian во-пе́рвых, пре́жде всего́
- во-пе́рвых (vo-pérvyx)in the first place
- пре́жде всего́ (préžde vsevó)in the first place
- в пе́рвую о́чередь (v pérvuju óčeredʹ)in the first place
- пе́рвым до́лгом (pérvym dólgom)in the first place
Scottish Gaelic an toiseach
- an toiseachin the first place
Slovak po prvé
- po prvéin the first place
Spanish primeramente
- primeramentein the first place
Swedish för det första
- för det förstain the first place
Tamil முதலில்
- முதலில் (mutalil)in the first place
Turkish ilk, önce
- ilkin the first place
- öncein the first place
Ukrainian по-пе́рше
- по-пе́рше (po-pérše)in the first place
Vietnamese trước hết, trước nhất
- trước hếtin the first place
- trước nhấtin the first place
- trước tiênin the first place
Cite this entry
firstly. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/firstly
“firstly.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/firstly. Accessed November 2, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “firstly,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/firstly.
Source: firstly on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.