Being before all others; being the initial unit or aggregate in order of occurrence or arrangement as to time, place, or rank: the ordinal of one.Foremost in time; preceding all others of the kind in order of time: as, Adam was the first man; I was the first guest to arrive.Foremost in place; before all others from the point of view or consideration: as, the first man in a rank or line.Foremost in importance or estimation; before or superior to all others in character, quality, or degree: as, Demosthenes was the first orator of Greece; the part of first villain in a play; wheat of the first grade; specifically, in music, highest or chief among several voices or instruments of the same class: as, first alto; first horn.Synonyms Primary, primordial, original, primitive, pristine, earliest. See comparison under primary.Highest, chief, principal, capital, foremost, leading.n. That which is first; the beginning. or that which makes or constitutes a beginning.n. In music: The voice or instrument that takes the highest or chief part in its class, especially in an orchestra or chorus; a leader of a part or group of performers.n. The interval and concord of the unison or prime. See unison and prime.n. Same as first base (which see, above).n. The highest rank in an examination for honors: as, he got a first in mathematics. See double-first.n. Immediately.Before all others in place or progression, rank, order of time, etc.Hence Sooner; before doing or suffering (that is, so as not to do or suffer) some act or result: as, I will not do it, I will die first.n. Time; time granted; respite: same as frist.