different between first vs indispensable

English

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /f??st/
• (General American) enPR: f?rst, IPA^(key): /f?st/
• (Scotland) IPA^(key): /f?rst/, /f?rst/
• Hyphenation: first
• Rhymes: -??(?)st

Etymology 1

From Middle English first, furst, ferst, fyrst, from Old English fyrest, from Proto-Germanic *furistaz (“foremost, first”), superlative of Proto-Germanic *fur, *fura, *furi (“before”), from Proto-Indo-European *per-, *pero- (“forward, beyond, around”), equivalent to fore +? -est. Cognate with North Frisian foarste (“first”), Dutch voorste (“foremost, first”), German Fürst (“chief, prince”, literally “first (born)”), Swedish först (“first”), Norwegian Nynorsk fyrst (“first”), Icelandic fyrstur (“first”).

Alternative forms

• 1st, Ist; I, I. (in names of monarchs and popes)
• firste (archaic)
• fyrst, fyrste (obsolete)

Adjective

first (not comparable)

1. Preceding all others of a series or kind; the ordinal of one; earliest.

   Hancock was first to arrive.

2. Most eminent or exalted; most excellent; chief; highest.
   • 1784: William Jones, The Description and Use of a New Portable Orrery, &c., PREFACE

     THE favourable reception the Orrery has met with from Per?ons of the fir?t di?tinction, and from Gentlemen and Ladies in general, has induced me to add to it ?everal new improvements in order to give it a degree of Perfection; and di?tingui?h it from others; which by Piracy, or Imitation, may be introduced to the Public.

Related terms

• for
• fore

Translations

Adverb

first (not comparable)

1. Before anything else; firstly.
2. For the first time;

Synonyms

• See also Thesaurus:firstly

Translations

Noun

first (countable and uncountable, plural firsts)

1. (uncountable) The person or thing in the first position.
   • 1699, William Temple, Heads designed for an essay on conversations

     Study gives strength to the mind; conversation, grace: the first apt to give stiffness, the other suppleness: one gives substance and form to the statue, the other polishes it.

2. (uncountable) The first gear of an engine.
3. (countable) Something that has never happened before; a new occurrence.

4. (countable, baseball) first base

5. (countable, Britain, colloquial) A first-class honours degree.
6. (countable, colloquial) A first-edition copy of some publication.
7. A fraction of an integer ending in one.

Translations

Derived terms

Related terms

See also

• primary
• primus inter pares

Etymology 2

From Middle English first, furst, fyrst, from Old English fyrst, fierst, first (“period, space of time, time, respite, truce”), from Proto-Germanic *frestaz, *fristiz, *frest? (“date, appointed time”), from Proto-Indo-European *pres-, *per- (“forward, forth, over, beyond”). Cognate with North Frisian ferst, frest (“period, time”), German Frist (“period, deadline, term”), Swedish frist (“deadline, respite, reprieve, time-limit”), Icelandic frestur (“period”). See also frist.

Noun

first (plural firsts)

1. (obsolete) Time; time granted; respite.

References

• first at OneLook Dictionary Search

Anagrams

• FTIRs, SIRTF, frist, frits, rifts

English

Etymology

From Middle French indispensable, from Medieval Latin indispensabilis, corresponding to in- +? dispensable.

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /?nd??sp?ns?b?l/

Adjective

indispensable (comparative more indispensable, superlative most indispensable)

1. (ecclesiastical, obsolete) Not admitting ecclesiastical dispensation; not subject to release or exemption; that cannot be allowed by bending the canonical rules. [16th-17th c.]
2. (of duties, rules etc.) Unbendable, that cannot be set aside or ignored. [from 17th c.]

   The law was moral and indispensable. -Bp. Burnet

3. Absolutely necessary or requisite; that one cannot do without. [from 17th c.]

   An indispensable component of a heart-healthy diet.

Synonyms

• See also Thesaurus:requisite

Antonyms

• dispensable

Derived terms

• indispensability
• indispensableness
• indispensably

Translations

Noun

indispensable (plural indispensables)

1. A thing that is not dispensable; a necessity. [from 17th c.]
2. (in the plural, colloquial, dated) Trousers. [from 19th c.]

Catalan

Adjective

indispensable (masculine and feminine plural indispensables)

1. indispensable

French

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /??.dis.p??.sabl/

Adjective

indispensable (plural indispensables)

1. indispensable

Further reading

• “indispensable” in Trésor de la langue française informatisé (The Digitized Treasury of the French Language).

Spanish

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /indispen?sable/, [?n?.d?is.p?n?sa.??le]

Adjective

indispensable (plural indispensables)

1. indispensable