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

But figuring out how to get rid of dark spots can be just as challenging as solving what caused them in the first place. —Deanna Pai, Glamour, 19 Feb. 2025

The organizers maintain that the band agreed to abide by the rules of the event in order to have their performance application approved in the first place. —Larisha Paul, Rolling Stone, 19 Feb. 2025

Astronomers think there are several processes that can rip atmospheres off planets or limit their formation in the first place. —Dakotah Tyler, Scientific American, 18 Feb. 2025

Why should the playoffs expand if the teams being let in probably shouldn’t be there in the first place? —Nathan Canilao, The Mercury News, 18 Feb. 2025

Rhymes for in the first place

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