first come, first served

idiom
UK /ˌfɜːst kʌm ˌfɜːst ˈsɜːvd/
US /ˌfɜːrst kʌm ˌfɜːrst ˈsɜːrvd/

The people who get there first get the thing first.

Tickets are sold on a first come, first served basis, so arrive early.

SYNONYMS

first in linefirst in timeearly bird gets the wormin order of arrival

RELATED WORDS

queuepriorityarrivalallocationturn

OTHER MEANINGS

2. A rule where the earliest person to arrive is helped before anyone else.

The clinic sees patients on a first come, first served basis.

3. A way of giving out things with no special treatment for anyone.

Seats are first come, first served, so there are no reserved places.

4. A policy of serving customers in the order they arrived.

The bakery follows first come, first served during the morning rush.