first of all

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first off adv.
principally adv.

ADVERB

first off

Synonyms

WEAK

first thing firstly foremost immediately in the first place primo up front

ADVERB

principally

Synonyms

STRONGEST

basically chiefly first and foremost generally importantly largely mostly notably particularly predominantly

STRONG

primarily

WEAK

above all before anything else cardinally dominantly eminently especially essentially 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.

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first of all

“I think, first of all, you have to have the will to reinvent,” Maynard said.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 9, 2026

That facility is far away, first of all, in Panama, and is producing nowhere near that number.

From Slate ● Jun. 11, 2026

You should know, first of all, that hospice is often the right choice and the best choice, as hard as it can be to accept that reality.

From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 25, 2026

"That's what we are trying to do. The instant reaction, first of all, is pain, and after that is 'OK, what can I do about it?' And that's it," Arteta said.

From BBC ● Feb. 20, 2026

“Well, first of all, this important data you want to rescue,” she says.

From "Insurgent" by Veronica Roth

first of all

Example Sentences

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