# dibs

/ˈdɪbz/ (US) · /dˈɪbz/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/dibs
Updated: 2026-08-27

## Senses

### 1. the right to choose first

noun · CEFR B1 · Informal · Slang

the right to have or use something before other people.

For teachers: the informal right to first choice or exclusive use of an object or opportunity.

- I have dibs on the front seat of the car for our road trip.
- The senior developer claimed dibs on the new project, citing his extensive experience with the legacy codebase.

Usage: Usually used with the preposition 'on'.

### 3. to claim something

verb · CEFR B2 · Informal · Slang

to claim or reserve something for yourself.

For teachers: to assert a claim or reservation over a specific object or right.

- He dibsed the best chair in the living room before anyone else arrived.
- She quickly dibsed the remaining budget for her department's marketing campaign before the fiscal year ended.

## Examples

- I call dibs on the last slice of pizza.
- As soon as the tickets went on sale, he called dibs on the best seats in the front row.
- While the team was still deciding on the final strategy, the lead researcher called dibs on the most promising data set for her upcoming presentation.

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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.