Foremost: meaning, definitions and examples

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foremost

 

[ ˈfɔːməʊst ]

Adjective / Adverb
Context #1 | Adjective

in importance

most prominent in position or importance

Synonyms

chief, leading, primary, principal

Examples of usage

  • His foremost priority is the safety of his family.
  • She is considered the foremost expert in her field.
  • The foremost reason for his success is hard work and dedication.
Context #2 | Adverb

in time

at or from the front or beginning

Synonyms

first, frontmost, leading

Examples of usage

  • He was standing foremost in the line.
  • She always arrives foremost at the meeting.

Translations

Translations of the word "foremost" in other languages:

🇵🇹 principal

🇮🇳 प्रमुख

🇩🇪 führend

🇮🇩 terkemuka

🇺🇦 першочерговий

🇵🇱 najważniejszy

🇯🇵 最重要

🇫🇷 principal

🇪🇸 principal

🇹🇷 en önemli

🇰🇷 가장 중요한

🇸🇦 أهم

🇨🇿 nejdůležitější

🇸🇰 najdôležitejší

🇨🇳 最重要的

🇸🇮 najpomembnejši

🇮🇸 fremstur

🇰🇿 ең маңызды

🇬🇪 მთავარი

🇦🇿 ən vacib

🇲🇽 principal

Etymology

The word 'foremost' originated from the Middle English word 'formest', which was a combination of 'for' (in front) and 'mest' (superlative suffix). It has been used in the English language since the 14th century. 'Foremost' evolved to represent something that is in the most prominent position or importance, whether in space or time.

See also: before, forecastle, forefather, foreman, forepart, forest, forever.

Word Frequency Rank

At #6,829 in frequency, this word belongs to advanced vocabulary. It's less common than core vocabulary but important for sophisticated expression.