first and foremost

ADVERB

mainly

Synonyms

STRONG

chiefly primarily principally

WEAK

above all essentially generally in general in the main largely most of all mostly on the whole overall predominantly substantially to the greatest extent usually

Antonyms

STRONG

secondarily

ADVERB

primarily

Synonyms

WEAK

at first at the start from the start in the first place initially originally primitively

Antonyms

WEAK

finally secondarily

ADVERB

principally

Synonyms

STRONGEST

basically chiefly generally importantly largely mostly notably particularly predominantly

STRONG

primarily

WEAK

above all before anything else cardinally dominantly eminently especially essentially first of all for the most part fundamentally in the first place in the main materially peculiarly preeminently prevailingly prevalently substantially superlatively supremely to a great degree universally vitally

Antonyms

WEAK

secondarily trivially

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.

"Obviously, first and foremost, it was absolute disappointment," she said.

From BBC • Jun. 7, 2026

Heteropessimism exists alongside heterosexuality not because being straight is terrible or embarrassing or out of fashion, but because it is, first and foremost, an institution — one that in many places remains dangerous to spurn.

From Salon • Jun. 3, 2026

Mr. Auslin stresses that it came to be seen “as a defense first and foremost of individual rights.”

From The Wall Street Journal • May 22, 2026

“I am, first and foremost, focused on making government deliver results that make a real difference in people’s lives,” he said.

From Los Angeles Times • May 18, 2026

This is not to say that it is not shaped by culture as well as evidence; but the culture which shapes it is, first and foremost, the culture of science itself.

From "The Invention of Science" by David Wootton

first and foremost

Example Sentences

Related Words