in the first place

idiom

1

—used at the end of a sentence to indicate what was true or what should have been done at the beginning of a situation

We should never have gone there in the first place.

I didn't care much for the job in the first place.

2

—used when listing the most important parts of something or the most important reasons for something

I'm not going to tell you because, in the first place, it's none of your business, and in the second place, you would tell everyone else.

Examples of in the first place in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Clearly, the best way to avoid immune amnesia or SSPE from the measles is to not get the measles in the first place. —Bruce Y. Lee, Forbes, 15 Mar. 2025

Moreover, Farias questioned why the department would need to outsource communications in the first place. —Chris Sommerfeldt, New York Daily News, 14 Mar. 2025

Some experts argue that paying more for surgeries and procedures versus primary care incentivizes performing more of those services — and also deters medical students from going into primary care in the first place. —Caitlin Owens, Axios, 14 Mar. 2025

Before then, conflict of interest cases were mostly handled through criminal investigations and proceedings, but OGE was established to help prevent conflicts of interest from arising in the first place. —Abdallah Fayyad, Vox, 14 Mar. 2025

Rhymes for in the first place

• aromatase
• hydrogenase
• nitrogenase
• oligoclase
• oxygenase
• plagioclase
• polymerase
• streptokinase
• triphosphatase
• abase
• airspace
• apace