adverb
before now (Freq. 3)
-
why didn't you tell me in the first place?
• Syn: ↑in the first place, ↑earlier, ↑in the beginning, ↑originally
* * *
at first
■ in the first place
such a fate is unlikely to befall him: to begin with, his is a genuine talent
* * *
to begin with
1 : as the first thing to be thought about or considered
“I don't think we should buy the car.” “Why not?” “To begin with, I'm not sure we can afford it.”
2 : at the start : before the current time or situation
She has lost a lot of weight, and she wasn't very heavy to begin with.
She didn't like her job to begin with, [=at first, initially] but she got used to it eventually.
• • •
Main Entry: ↑begin
Useful english dictionary. 2012.