Firstly vs Lastly - What's the difference?
firstly | lastly |
(formal) In the first place; before anything else; first.
*
English sequence adverbs
(sequence)
(discourse marker) (Used to signal that the speaker is about to yield control of the conversation).
As adverbs the difference between firstly and lastly
is that firstly is (formal) in the first place; before anything else; first while lastly is (sequence).firstly
English
Adverb
(-)- Firstly , I continue to base most species treatments on personally collected material, rather than on herbarium plants. Secondly, I continue to base my concepts on intensive study of a limited suite of collections, rather than superficial study of every packet that comes to hand.
Usage notes
* Whether it is proper to use "firstly", rather than "first", has often been disputed. ** Beginning in the early 19th century with de Quincey, who erroneously believed that "firstly" was a neologism, some have argued against the use of "firstly", advocating the sequence: "First", "secondly", "thirdly", .... ** The usage of "firstly" is also deprecated by some modern style guides.International English UsageThe Chicago Manual of Style further recommends that all such -ly forms be avoided, and that list items begin only with "first", "second", and so forth. ** Other authorities disagree. *** The American Heritage Dictionary comments: ***: It is well established that either first'' or ''firstly'' can be used to begin an enumeration: ''Our objectives are, first'' (or ''firstly''), ''to recover from last year's slump. *** The Oxford English Dictionary'' notes the dispute but does not pass judgment: "many writers prefer ''first'', even though closely followed by ''secondly'', ''thirdly'', etc."
"Firstly" in the ''Oxford English Dictionary, online edition (subscription required) ** "Firstly" may appear more formal than "first" and is often recommended for the formal enumeration of arguments.
Writing in a Formal Style for Academic Purposes
Synonyms
* first * first of all * first upReferences
lastly
English
Adverb
(-)- Firstly, that's illegal; secondly, it has serious disadvantages; thirdly, it's not necessary; and lastly , did I mention that it's illegal?