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

If this is you, there are a few ways to stop yourself being targeted in the first place. —Kate O'Flaherty, Forbes.com, 1 May 2025

And what’s the best way to stop bread from molding so fast in the first place? —Caroline Tien, SELF, 1 May 2025

Jones asked Fitzpatrick how the incident had come to his attention in the first place. —Peter D'abrosca, FOXNews.com, 1 May 2025

And why was Yates trying to adopt a splitter in the first place? —Doug Padilla, Oc Register, 1 May 2025

Rhymes for in the first place

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