first come, first served

idiom

variants or first come, first serve

—used to say that the people who arrive earliest get served or treated before the people who arrive later

The campsites are first come, first served, so we'd better get there early.

The campsites are assigned on a first-come-first-serve basis.

"Aren't there any cookies left?" "Sorry—first come, first served."

Examples of first come, first served in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Only five seats will be made available to the public on a first come, first serve basis. —

Jon McGowan, Forbes, 2 Dec. 2024 The tickets will be sold on a first come, first serve basis. —

Ana Gutierrez, Austin American-Statesman, 11 Nov. 2024 The event is first come, first served and cash only. —

Meredith G. White, The Arizona Republic, 9 Sep. 2024 The cottages are first come, first serve, so book well in advance. —

Dakota Kim, Los Angeles Times, 16 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for first come, first served

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“First come, first served.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/first%20come%2C%20first%20served. Accessed 15 Dec. 2024.

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