foremost

1 of 2

adjective

fore·​most ˈfȯr-ˌmōst 

1

: first in a series or progression

Safety is their foremost concern.

2

: of first rank or position : preeminent

He is the foremost authority on the American Civil War period.

foremost

2 of 2

adverb

1

: in the first place

2

: most importantly

first and foremost

Synonyms

Adjective

• arch
• big
• capital
• cardinal
• central
• chief
• dominant
• first
• grand
• great
• greatest
• highest
• key
• leading
• main
• master
• number one
• No. 1
• numero uno
• overbearing
• overmastering
• overriding
• paramount
• predominant
• preeminent
• premier
• primal
• primary
• principal
• prior
• sovereign
• sovran
• supreme

Examples of foremost in a Sentence

Adjective

Albert Einstein is regarded by many as the foremost figure of the 20th century.

wanted to speak to the foremost supervisor in our department

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

After a brief impression of Judy, Paris offered some insight into one of the girls’ foremost comedic influences growing up. —Alejandra Gularte, Vulture, 18 Nov. 2024

Alex Sarian, the president and CEO of Arts Commons, one of Canada’s foremost centers for the arts, thinks the answer is a crisis of relevance. —Timothy J. McClimon, Forbes, 5 Nov. 2024

Adverb

Unlike me, my grandmother knew firsthand that the sea is foremost a place of haunting, the port city one of imperial interest, and the beach one of arrivals and a site of massacres, one of which my grandfather narrowly escaped in WWII. —Zining Mok, Longreads, 22 Oct. 2024

The Biden administration’s National Defense Strategy has made clear, after all, that the U.S. military needs to focus foremost on China. —Carter Malkasian, Foreign Affairs, 20 Sep. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Adjective and Adverb

Middle English formest, from Old English, superlative of forma first; akin to Old High German fruma advantage, Old English fore fore

First Known Use

Adjective

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Adverb

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing foremost

• first and foremost
• foremost/uppermost in someone's mind

Kids Definition

foremost

adjective

fore·​most

-ˌmōst

: first in time, place, or order : most important

foremost adverb