first responder

noun

: a person (such as a police officer or an EMT) who is among those responsible for going immediately to the scene of an accident or emergency to provide assistance

Examples of first responder in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
When the pair was able to get out of the home around 1:30 a.m., Cue said neighbors were yelling and helping get people out of the rubble until first responders arrived. Chris Boyette, CNN, 3 Nov. 2024 Witnesses told Hawaii News Now that the surfer was brought to shore by surfers where first responders administered aide. James Powel, USA TODAY, 3 Nov. 2024 The morning after, first responders found Smith in his Farmersville, Illinois, home with a bullet lodged in his brain. Annabelle Allen, CBS News, 2 Nov. 2024 Monroe County Sheriff Tommy Jones said first responders descending on the scene found a man's body and Andrade's ID. John Bacon, USA TODAY, 28 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for first responder 

Word History

First Known Use

1970, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of first responder was in 1970

Dictionary Entries Near first responder

Cite this Entry

“First responder.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/first%20responder. Accessed 15 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

first responder

noun
first re·​spond·​er
-ri-ˈspän-dər
: a person (as a police officer or an EMT) who is among those responsible for going immediately to the scene of an accident or emergency to provide assistance
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!