Adverb
In the first place; before anything else; -- sometimes improperly used for first.
Source: Webster's dictionaryWe believe that the world, too, can destroy apartheid, firstly by striking at the economy of South Africa. Oliver Tambo
There are two ways of extending life: firstly by moving the two points "born" and "died" farther away from one another... The other method is to go more slowly and leave the two points wherever God wills they should be, and this method is for the philosophers. Georg Christoph Lichtenberg
Firstly you must always implicitly obey orders, without attempting to form any opinion of your own regarding their propriety. Secondly, you must consider every man your enemy who speaks ill of your king; and thirdly you must hate a Frenchman as you hate the devil. Horatio Nelson
We have seen already how resistant public opinion is, firstly to comprehension of the new paradigm in which we have to operate; and secondly, to the rationale behind the decisions we have had to take. Brian Cowen
The process of poetry consists firstly in maintaining this vision in its integrity and secondly in expressing this vision in words. Herbert Read
What is it to be a gentleman? Firstly it is to be thankful and secondly to complain. Serbian Proverb