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
The key is to make meaningful transfers in the first place and not chase last week’s points.
—
Holly Shand, New York Times, 23 Oct. 2025
How to Effectively Repel or Kill Boxelder Bugs The best way to repel boxelder bugs is to stop them from getting inside in the first place.
—Nafeesah Allen, Better Homes & Gardens, 23 Oct. 2025
However, residents voted to reject the name change by a 9 to 1 margin and even moved to recall city officials who proposed the change in the first place.
—Harrison Mantas, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 22 Oct. 2025
Many telling of the myth make clear that Prometheus only had to steal fire from Zeus because his meddling ruined it for all of us in the first place.
—James Folta, Literary Hub, 22 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for in the first place
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Holly Shand, New York Times, 23 Oct. 2025
How to Effectively Repel or Kill Boxelder Bugs The best way to repel boxelder bugs is to stop them from getting inside in the first place.
—Nafeesah Allen, Better Homes & Gardens, 23 Oct. 2025
However, residents voted to reject the name change by a 9 to 1 margin and even moved to recall city officials who proposed the change in the first place.
—Harrison Mantas, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 22 Oct. 2025
Many telling of the myth make clear that Prometheus only had to steal fire from Zeus because his meddling ruined it for all of us in the first place.
—James Folta, Literary Hub, 22 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for in the first place
Cite this Entry
“In the first place.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/in%20the%20first%20place. Accessed 29 Oct. 2025.
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