What does firstborn mean?
Firstborn refers to the first child born to particular parents, and it also functions as an adjective describing someone's position as the earliest-born among their siblings. The word carries considerable cultural and historical weight: in many societies, from ancient Hebrew law to European primogeniture, the firstborn enjoyed special inheritance rights, ceremonial duties, or social standing. Today it appears most often in everyday family contexts—announcing a baby's arrival, discussing sibling dynamics, or describing birth order—where psychologists have linked firstborn status to traits such as responsibility and leadership, though such findings remain debated. It is standard in both British and American English, typically written without a hyphen in modern usage. Whether applied to people, animals, or even metaphorically to inaugural works and achievements, firstborn signals precedence: the one who came before all others.
The first child born to a couple, parent, or family.
"Their firstborn is starting school this autumn."
Plural 'firstborns' refers to multiple such individuals, e.g. the firstborns of several families.
Being the earliest-born among one's siblings; first in order of birth.
"He is their firstborn son."
Frequently used attributively before nouns such as 'son', 'daughter', or 'child'.
The plural applies when speaking of multiple firstborn children, typically across different families rather than within one.
"The study compared firstborns with their younger siblings."
In ancient Israel, the firstborn held such legal weight that a divine decree claimed every firstborn son—and the Exodus story turns entirely on sparing them.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of firstborn
Firstborn is formed from the Old English roots 'first' (earliest in order) and 'born', the past participle of 'beran', meaning to bear or give birth to. The compound emerged in early English religious and legal texts, where describing a child as the firstborn carried real consequences for inheritance and ritual obligation. It shares its underlying root with related words such as 'birth' and 'bear', all tracing back to the same Germanic verb for bearing offspring.
How firstborn is actually used
Commonly used as both a noun and an attributive adjective ('their firstborn daughter'). Historically weighted with inheritance and ritual significance in many cultures, so it often carries connotations of privilege or special responsibility. The spelling 'first-born' with a hyphen is an older style now largely replaced by the unhyphenated form.