first of all

first of all

1. A phrase used to introduce the first topic one wants to address. I do want to hear about your day, but first of all, let me tell you what the wedding planner had to say. First of all at today's assembly, we have our sixth grade spelling bee. First of all, sir, I have a name, and it's not "sweetie."

2. A phrase used to indicate the most significant thing or component of something. You need to get all of this awful furniture out of the room, first of all, then we can talk about how to decorate it for prospective buyers. First of all, we have to dust and vacuum. Then we can start putting out the Christmas decorations. A: "When we get home from the airport, first of all, we need to unpack." B: "Oh, you're one of those people, huh?"

See also: all, first, of

Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2024 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.

first of all

as the very first thing; before anything else. First of all, put your name on this piece of paper. First of all, we'll try to find a place to live.

See also: all, first, of

McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs. © 2002 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

ˌfirst of ˈall

1 before doing anything else; at the beginning: First of all, let me ask you something.
2 as the most important thing: The content of any article needs, first of all, to be relevant to the reader.

See also: all, first, of

Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary © Farlex 2017