What does first of all mean?

phr. beginning with the most important or earliest thing; introducing the first point in a list or explanation

first of all

Frequency

Difficulty

Tags CEFR-A2

phrase

beginning with the most important or earliest thing

First of all, we need to decide on the date for the meeting.

introducing the first point in a list or explanation

First of all, let's discuss the budget; then we can move on to other topics.

beginning with the most important or earliest thing; introducing the first point in a list or explanation