# first come, first served

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/first-come-first-served
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

One will be dealt with in the order in which one arrives.

## Examples

- Tickets are first come, first served.
- We have limited seats for the event, so it is first come, first served.
- The charity distributed the remaining supplies on a first come, first served basis to the long line of people waiting outside.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.