foremost
gb/fˈɔɹmˌoʊst/ us/fˈɔɹmˌoʊst/
B2
English
~ 4500
Senses
0 senses
adjective
B2
property
1
Most important or leading
Most important or best known.
Usage pattern:
the foremost [person/thing] in [field]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'foremost' with 'first' when talking about time. 'Foremost' refers to importance, not necessarily sequence.
Synonyms
leading (Often used for top-ranked people or organizations; similar in meaning but slightly less formal.)
|
principal (Emphasizes being the main or primary one, often in official contexts.)
Antonyms
minor (Indicates lesser importance or significance.)
|
secondary (Suggests something less important than another thing.)
Collocations
foremost authority
|foremost leader
|foremost concern
|foremost example
Themes
leadership
|achievement
|ranking
|core_vocabulary
|business
|politics
Examples
- She is the foremost expert on climate change in the country.
- Our foremost priority is the safety of our employees.
- The museum houses some of the world's foremost works of art.
Learner examples
- He is the foremost singer in the city.
- Our foremost goal is to finish on time.
- This is the foremost reason we came here.
adverb
B2
relation
2
Before anything else in importance
Most importantly; before other things.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes place 'foremost' incorrectly in a sentence; it usually comes at the start or after the verb when used as an adverb.
Synonyms
primarily (Focuses on the main reason or purpose, often interchangeable.)
|
principally (Similar in meaning but used more often in formal writing.)
Antonyms
secondarily (Indicates something is of lesser priority.)
Collocations
foremost among
|foremost in our minds
Themes
prioritization
|communication
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- Foremost, we must consider the needs of the children.
- He is remembered foremost for his generosity.
- Foremost among her achievements is the discovery of the new species.
Learner examples
- Foremost, we need to help the poor.
- He is known foremost for his music.
- Foremost among them is the big red car.
Grammar
Dictionary form
foremost
IPA
GB/fˈɔɹmˌoʊst/
US/fˈɔɹmˌoʊst/
Syllables & stress
fore - most (2 syllables)
Stress on 1st syllable (fore)
Word forms
Adjective
- Base: foremost
Word family
Related words
forefront
noun B2
Expressions
first and foremost
1/fˈɚst ˈænd fˈɔɹmˌoʊst/
fixed phrase
Most important above all else initially considered
Most important of all, before considering other things.
Examples
- First and foremost, we must protect the children.
- First and foremost, I want to thank our sponsors.
- He is, first and foremost, a teacher.
- We must remember that, first and foremost, we are here to serve the community.