in the first place
The phrase "in the first place" is commonly used to introduce the primary reason or the initial point in a sequence of arguments or events.
🇺🇸 US Voice:
🇬🇧 UK Voice:
Definition
B2General
(idiomatic)At the beginning or initially.
Example
- Why did you agree to meet her in the first place?
- We should never have gone there in the first place.
B2General
(idiomatic)Used to highlight the most important reason or point.
Example
- I'm not going to tell you because, in the first place, it's none of your business.
- In the first place, we need to understand the problem before we can solve it.
Similar
Terms that have similar or relatively close meanings to "in the first place":