first-born
C1Formal, literary; occasionally neutral in family/religious contexts.
Definition
Meaning
The child who is born first to a set of parents; eldest child.
Used attributively to describe anything or anyone that is the first of its kind, the oldest, or the original in a sequence (e.g., first-born son, first-born idea). Can metaphorically denote precedence in status, rights, or inheritance.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
Primarily a countable noun, but can function attributively as a compound adjective (e.g., first-born child). Often carries historical, legal, or religious connotations of birthright, inheritance, and primogeniture. More specific than 'eldest', as it explicitly references birth order.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
Spelling typically hyphenated in both varieties. Usage patterns are identical; the concept is culturally significant in both regions. No major syntactic differences.
Connotations
Strongly associated with biblical narratives (e.g., the plague of the firstborn) and historical inheritance laws. In modern secular use, it can sound slightly formal or literary.
Frequency
Low-medium frequency in both. More common in religious, historical, anthropological, or formal legal texts than in everyday casual conversation, where 'eldest' or 'oldest' is often preferred.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
the first-born (of [family/group])[possessive] first-bornfirst-born [noun]Vocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “the firstborn's portion”
- “rights of the firstborn”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Rare. Possibly metaphorical: 'The company's first-born product line is still its most profitable.'
Academic
Used in anthropology, history, theology, and literature studies to discuss primogeniture, inheritance laws, and familial structures.
Everyday
Used in family discussions, often with a formal or slightly poetic tone: 'We saved the christening gown for every first-born in the family.'
Technical
In genetics or demography, might appear in studies on birth order effects.
Examples
By Part of Speech
adjective
British English
- Their first-born daughter inherited the estate.
- It was his first-born novel that made him famous.
American English
- The first-born son traditionally got the farm.
- She cherished her first-born manuscript, flaws and all.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- My brother is the first-born in our family.
- The first-born child often has more responsibility.
- In the story, the first-born son was denied his inheritance.
- As the first-born, she felt a lot of pressure to succeed.
- The ancient law granted double the share of property to the first-born.
- Anthropologists have studied the privileged status of the first-born across numerous cultures.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think: 'FIRST to be BORN' – it's literally in the name. Link to historical 'birthright' – the right that comes with being born first.
Conceptual Metaphor
BIRTH ORDER IS HIERARCHY / PRECEDENCE IS PRIORITY IN TIME.
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Avoid translating directly as 'первородный' in every context, as it is strongly biblical. In neutral family contexts, 'старший (ребёнок)' or 'первый ребёнок' is more natural.
- Do not confuse with 'первенец' which is poetic/dated; 'first-born' is the direct equivalent but has a wider formal/literary use.
Common Mistakes
- Using 'first-born' as a verb (e.g., 'He was first-born in 1990' – incorrect; use 'He was the first-born' or 'He was born first').
- Misspelling as one word ('firstborn' is acceptable, but hyphenated form is standard for the noun/adjective).
Practice
Quiz
In which context is the term 'first-born' LEAST likely to be used?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Primarily, yes. While it can be used metaphorically for ideas or projects ('my first-born novel'), this is literary. For animals, 'firstborn' is possible but 'first offspring' or 'first litter' is more common.
'Eldest' is more common in everyday speech and simply means the oldest. 'First-born' specifically emphasizes the fact of being born first, often carrying legal, religious, or formal connotations related to that specific status.
It can be ambiguous. Typically, 'first-born' refers to the very first child biologically. To avoid confusion, phrases like 'the first child of their marriage' or 'her first-born with him' are used.
For the noun and attributive adjective, the hyphenated form 'first-born' is standard, though 'firstborn' is an accepted variant. The hyphen clarifies it is a single compound concept.
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