Definitions

first refusal

NOUN

first chance to buy something

Synonyms

WEAK

first option option preemption prior right of purchase refusal right of preemption

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Swinney announced the first refusal policy ahead of a campaign visit to Inverness, saying it could help those struggling to get on the property ladder.

From BBC • Apr. 10, 2026

SpaceX, like many other private firms, typically holds the right of first refusal.

From MarketWatch • Feb. 18, 2026

On top of its initial lease, AMD holds an option for an additional 75 megawatts of capacity and a right of first refusal for another 100 megawatts.

From Barron's • Jan. 16, 2026

“They offered no advance. The clause that I really should have taken out was the right of first refusal, which boxed me in,” she explained.

From Slate • Nov. 3, 2025

So this seemed to me to be quite enough to explain Uldra's first refusal, and though I believe that Relf had been on the point of telling me more, he forbore, and let this suffice.

From King Olaf's Kinsman A Story of the Last Saxon Struggle against the Danes in the Days of Ironside and Cnut by Whistler, Charles W. (Charles Watts)