in the first place

in the first place
    adv 1: before now; "why didn't you tell me in the first place?"
           [syn: {in the first place}, {earlier}, {in the
           beginning}, {to begin with}, {originally}]
    2: of primary import; "this is primarily a question of
       economics"; "it was in the first place a local matter" [syn:
       {primarily}, {in the first place}] [ant: {secondarily}]