What does "foremost" mean?

1. (most important) the most important, famous, or successful person or thing in a particular area. 2. (physically at the front) the part of something that is furthest forward. 3. (nautical) the part of a ship that is closest to the front (the bow). 4. (most importantly) used to highlight the most important point, usually in the phrase 'first and foremost'.

How do you use "foremost"?

Commonly used in maritime contexts to describe structural parts of a ship.

foremost

adj. · adv.

US //ˈfɔɹˌmoʊst// UK //fˈɔːməʊst// fore·most

1 most important (adj.)
B2 Upper Intermediate

the most important, famous, or successful person or thing in a particular area.

of the highest rank, importance, or reputation within a specific field or group.

Example

She is considered the foremost expert on climate change in the country.

Example

As the foremost authority on Renaissance architecture, his endorsement of the restoration project was essential for securing government funding.
- minor
- insignificant
2 physically at the front (adj.)
C1 Advanced Formal

the part of something that is furthest forward.

positioned at the very front in terms of physical space.

Example

The foremost soldiers in the parade carried the ceremonial flags.

Example

The foremost section of the vessel sustained the most damage during the collision with the pier.
- frontmost
- leading
- rearmost
- back

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3 nautical (adj.)
C2 Proficiency Technical Science

the part of a ship that is closest to the front (the bow).

situated at or closest to the bow of a ship.

Example

The sailors gathered on the foremost deck to watch for land.

Example

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.
- forward
- aft
4 most importantly (adv.)
B2 Upper Intermediate

used to highlight the most important point, usually in the phrase 'first and foremost'.

in the first or most prominent place; primarily used within the fixed idiomatic expression 'first and foremost'.

Example

He is a teacher first and foremost, even though he also writes books.

Example

The charity's mission is, first and foremost, to provide clean drinking water to displaced families in the region.
- primarily
- principally
- lastly

Origin

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.