Word
foremost
Phoneticsfore·most, stress on the first syllable
US/ˈfɔɹˌmoʊst/
UK/fˈɔːməʊst/
Definitions
01most important
B2 · Upper Intermediate
adj. the most important, famous, or successful person or thing in a particular area.
adj. of the highest rank, importance, or reputation within a specific field or group.
“She is considered the foremost expert on climate change in the country.”
“As the foremost authority on Renaissance architecture, his endorsement of the restoration project was essential for securing government funding.”
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02physically at the front
C1 · Advanced Formal
adj. the part of something that is furthest forward.
adj. positioned at the very front in terms of physical space.
“The foremost soldiers in the parade carried the ceremonial flags.”
“The foremost section of the vessel sustained the most damage during the collision with the pier.”
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03nautical
C2 · Proficiency Science Technical
adj. the part of a ship that is closest to the front (the bow).
adj. situated at or closest to the bow of a ship.
“The sailors gathered on the foremost deck to watch for land.”
“The foremost mast was reinforced with steel cables to withstand the gale-force winds expected during the Atlantic crossing.”
Usage
Commonly used in maritime contexts to describe structural parts of a ship.
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04most importantly
B2 · Upper Intermediate
adv. used to highlight the most important point, usually in the phrase 'first and foremost'.
adv. in the first or most prominent place; primarily used within the fixed idiomatic expression 'first and foremost'.
“He is a teacher first and foremost, even though he also writes books.”
“The charity's mission is, first and foremost, to provide clean drinking water to displaced families in the region.”
Synonyms
Antonyms
Real-World Examples
“These small towns put on events that are for the community first and foremost."
As I looked around Ulverston, the national debates that have shaped Pride in recent years felt distant.” “Yet she has always described herself first and foremost as a songwriter.” Etymology
From Old English formest, fyrmest (“earliest, first, most prominent”), from Proto-Germanic frumistaz, from the locative stem fur-, fr- + the superlative suffix -umistaz, stem ultimately from Proto-Indo-European pr-. The suffix -umistaz was a compound suffix, created from the rarer comparative suffix -umô (as in Old English fruma) + the regular superlative suffix -istaz (English -est); -umô in turn is from Proto-Indo-European -mHo-. Cognate with Old Frisian formest, Gothic 𐍆𐍂𐌿𐌼𐌹𐍃𐍄𐍃 (frumists). See for, first and Old English fruma for more. Partially cognate to primus, from Proto-Indo-European pr- + Latin superlative suffix -imus, from Proto-Indo-European -mHo-. A comparative former was back-formed analogically, leaving the m from *-umô in place. Later the Old English suffix complex -(u)m-est was conflated with the word most through folk etymology, so that the word is now interpreted as fore + -most.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Domain
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.B2 FirstIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.5.5–6.5TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 4.0–4.572–94TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.785–944
- Frequency
- Frequent
- Level
- B2 · Upper Intermediate
- Updated
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