First
First adjective - Coming before all others in importance.
Usage example: there are a number of reasons we can't go, but the first is that we don't have the money
Number one is a synonym for first in important topic. In some cases you can use "Number one" instead the word "First" as a noun or an adjective or a pronoun, when it comes to topics like earliest in order, highest in importance. popular alternative
Nearby Word: firstly
Number one
Number one adjective - Coming before all others in importance.
Usage example: considers international terrorism to be the number one threat to national security
Mutual synonyms
Cite this Source
Number one and First. (2016). Retrieved 2026, August 16, from https://thesaurus.plus/related/first/number_one
First & Number one. N.p., 2016. Web. 16 Aug. 2026. <https://thesaurus.plus/related/first/number_one>.
Number one or First. 2016. Accessed August 16, 2026. https://thesaurus.plus/related/first/number_one.
Google Ngram Viewer shows how "first" and "number one" have occurred on timeline