Also: First of All
Meaning of Idiom ‘First and Foremost’
First and foremost means primarily; most importantly; before anything else. 1Ammer, Christine. American Heritage Dictionary of Idioms. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2013.,2Ayto, John. Oxford Dictionary of English Idioms. Oxford: Oxford U, 2010.
Usage
This idiom tends to emphasize one thing or person, among others, as the most important. “First and foremost, I’d like to thank my director, without whom this performance would not have been possible.”
Examples Of Use
“He was always, first and foremost, a loving father.”
“First and foremost on our minds are the victims of this vicious attack.”
“First of all, you don’t even know how much a bathroom remodel will cost,” said Tom. “You’ll have to get some estimates to find out whether we can afford it.”
Origin
But first and foremost, in this idiom, mean ‘most important’ and have been used together to lend emphasis since the 1300s. The varian, first of all, has been used since the mid-1500s. 3Ammer, Christine. American Heritage Dictionary of Idioms. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2013.
More Idioms Starting with F
More First Idioms
Sources
| 1, 3. | ↲ | Ammer, Christine. American Heritage Dictionary of Idioms. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2013. |
| 2. | ↲ | Ayto, John. Oxford Dictionary of English Idioms. Oxford: Oxford U, 2010. |