Idiom idiom
on a first-name basis
Meaning
Having enough familiarity with another person to call them by their first name, as opposed to their surname.
Meaning adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Examples
“I am on a first-name basis with my neighbor.”
“After working together for a year, we are finally on a first-name basis with our boss.”
“Although the professor initially maintained a formal distance, he eventually invited his students to be on a first-name basis with him during office hours.”
Anchors to
Last updated August 10, 2026