different between first vs vital

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 English vital, from Old French vital, from Latin v?t?lis (“of life, life-giving”), from v?ta (“life”), from v?v? (“I live”).

Pronunciation

• enPR: v?'t?l, IPA^(key): /?va?t?l/
• (US) IPA^(key): /?va?t??l/
• Rhymes: -a?t?l

Adjective

vital (comparative more vital, superlative most vital)

1. Relating to, or characteristic of life.

   Synonym: lifely

2. Necessary to the continuation of life; being the seat of life; being that on which life depends.
3. Invigorating or life-giving.
4. Necessary to continued existence.

5. Relating to the recording of life events.

6. Very important.

   Synonyms: crucial, necessary, significant; see also Thesaurus:important
7. Containing life; living.

   Synonyms: extant, live, kicking; see also Thesaurus:alive
8. Capable of living; in a state to live; viable.

Derived terms

Related terms

Antonyms

• mortal

Translations

Further reading

• vital in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913.
• vital in The Century Dictionary, New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911.

Catalan

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin vitalis.

Pronunciation

• (Balearic, Valencian) IPA^(key): /vi?tal/
• (Central) IPA^(key): /bi?tal/

Adjective

vital (masculine and feminine plural vitals)

1. vital

Related terms

• vida
• vitalitat

French

Etymology

From Old French vital, from Latin v?t?lis (“of life, life-giving”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /vi.tal/
• Homophones: vitale, vitales

Adjective

vital (feminine singular vitale, masculine plural vitaux, feminine plural vitales)

1. vital

Related terms

• vitalité
• vie

Further reading

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

Galician

Etymology

From Latin v?t?lis (“of life, life-giving”).

Adjective

vital m or f (plural vitais)

1. vital (relating to, or characteristic of life)
2. vital, important, necessary

Related terms

• vida
• vitalidade

German

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin v?t?lis.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /vi?ta?l/
• Rhymes: -a?l

Adjective

vital (comparative vitaler, superlative am vitalsten)

1. lively; hale; vigorous
2. (rather rare, formal) vital (necessary to, or characteristic of life)

Declension

Synonyms

• (lively): lebhaft; markig; rüstig; voller Leben
• (vital): lebenswichtig; Lebens-

Interlingua

Adjective

vital (not comparable)

1. vital

Related terms

• vita

Norwegian Bokmål

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin vitalis.

Adjective

vital (neuter singular vitalt, definite singular and plural vitale)

1. vital

References

• “vital” in The Bokmål Dictionary.

Norwegian Nynorsk

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin vitalis.

Adjective

vital (neuter singular vitalt, definite singular and plural vitale)

1. vital

References

• “vital” in The Nynorsk Dictionary.

Portuguese

Etymology

From Latin vitalis.

Pronunciation

• (Brazil) IPA^(key): /vi.?taw/

Adjective

vital m or f (plural vitais, comparable)

1. vital (relating to, or characteristic of life)
2. vital (necessary to the continuation of life)
3. vital (very important)

   Synonyms: crucial, fundamental, essencial

Related terms

• vida
• vitalidade

Romanian

Etymology

From French vital, from Latin vitalis.

Adjective

vital m or n (feminine singular vital?, masculine plural vitali, feminine and neuter plural vitale)

1. vital

Declension

Related terms

• vitalitate

Spanish

Etymology

From Latin vitalis.

Adjective

vital (plural vitales)

1. vital

Derived terms

Related terms

• vitalidad
• vida

See also

• vivo