as in originally
in the beginning
firstly, gather all the ingredients together
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Recent Examples of firstly
Its detection means that, firstly, JADES-GS-z13-1-LA produced enough high-energy radiation to excite its neutral hydrogen, and secondly that there was little neutral hydrogen between the galaxy and Earth to block the Lyman-α photons from reaching us in the present.
—
Paul Du Quenoy, MSNBC Newsweek, 26 Mar. 2025
Now, the Democratic Party’s institutional failure to focus firstly on the economic security of working families has had epic consequences.
—John Samuelsen, New York Daily News, 11 Feb. 2025
Its success leads her to rebel, firstly through passionate love affairs with women and then by reclaiming her authorship.
—Radhika Seth, Vogue, 9 Feb. 2025
Meissner is unique among current film market directors for her perspective on the circuit having worked as a film sales agent for two decades, firstly for Celluloid Dreams and then Memento.
—Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 5 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for firstly
Paul Du Quenoy, MSNBC Newsweek, 26 Mar. 2025
Now, the Democratic Party’s institutional failure to focus firstly on the economic security of working families has had epic consequences.
—John Samuelsen, New York Daily News, 11 Feb. 2025
Its success leads her to rebel, firstly through passionate love affairs with women and then by reclaiming her authorship.
—Radhika Seth, Vogue, 9 Feb. 2025
Meissner is unique among current film market directors for her perspective on the circuit having worked as a film sales agent for two decades, firstly for Celluloid Dreams and then Memento.
—Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 5 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for firstly
Recent Examples of Synonyms for firstly
Adverb
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This story was originally published May 29, 2025 at 3:33 PM.—
Ana Ceballos,
Miami Herald,
29 May 2025
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This story was originally published May 28, 2025 at 11:07 PM.—
Steve Lyttle,
Charlotte Observer,
29 May 2025
Adverb
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Iowa funds its account with $500 initially and then annually up to 18 years.—
Medora Lee,
USA Today,
23 May 2025
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Medicaid emerged as a major sticking point for Republicans negotiating the terms of the bill, with those who represent swing districts initially advocating for Medicaid to be left intact and fiscal hawks pushing for even more cuts.—
Sara Dorn,
Forbes.com,
22 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Firstly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/firstly. Accessed 3 Jun. 2025.
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