Word
firstborn
Phoneticsfirst·born
US/ˈfɝstˈbɔɹn/
UK/fˈɜːstbɔːn/
Definition
n. the oldest child in a family. This person often gets special attention or has a different role in the family than their younger siblings.
n. the eldest child in a family. Often carries cultural or psychological significance, particularly in terms of inheritance, parental expectations, or birth order theory.
Examples
“The firstborn usually gets the best room in the house.”
“In many traditional cultures, the firstborn is expected to take on significant family responsibilities from a young age.”
“Psychologists have long debated whether the firstborn is more likely to be high-achieving due to the intense focus of their parents or if the pressure of being the eldest leads to anxiety and perfectionism.”
Examples
simple
“The firstborn usually gets the best room in the house.”
contextual
“In many traditional cultures, the firstborn is expected to take on significant family responsibilities from a young age.”
complex
“Psychologists have long debated whether the firstborn is more likely to be high-achieving due to the intense focus of their parents or if the pressure of being the eldest leads to anxiety and perfectionism.”
Real-World Examples
“One of the earliest photos of Nicholas and Alexandra’s firstborn, Olga, features the chubby-cheeked girl in a white dress, perched on her mother’s knee as her great-grandmother looks on admiringly.” Etymology
From Middle English first borne. By surface analysis, first (adverb) + born.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Scan code
englishreference.com/q/firstborn