in erster Linie

[ɪn ˈeːɐ̯stɐ ˌliːni̯ə]

/[ɪn ˈeːɐ̯stɐ ˌliːni̯ə]/ phrase

The verdict

“in erster Linie” is uncommon German (outside the top frequency list), classed as a phrase. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

Unranked
below top-frequency German
15
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - an erster Stelle; vor allem

Corpus desk

Index DE-in-erster-linie · in erster Linie · German

in erster Linie · unranked · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-UNRANKED Unranked
  • LEN-MEGA 15 letters
  • VOW-6 6 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-THIN "I" thin
  • PHOTO-UNK Peer pending

Desk codes from Wiktionary headword shape, FrequencyWords rank tier, confusable-pair count, generated misspelling depth, letter-cohort book size, and photo-finish peer. Not a difficulty grade.

Key facts for in erster Linie
PropertyValue
Headwordin erster Linie
LanguageGerman
Part of speechPhrase
IPA[ɪn ˈeːɐ̯stɐ ˌliːni̯ə]
Letters15
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Langschwanz-Rang von „in erster Linie“ im Deutschen

in erster Liniesitzt jenseits der 100.000 häufigsten deutschen Formen, im Schwanz spezialisierten oder seltenen Wortschatzes.

Beyond rank #100,000. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

in erster Linie is uncommon German outside the top frequency list, classed as aphrase, transcribed [ɪn ˈeːɐ̯stɐ ˌliːni̯ə]. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. Gloss: "an erster Stelle; vor allem".

in erster Linie doesn't appear in our generated misspelling index, and the word's spelling is regular enough that our generator found nothing worth flagging. Our confusable-pair dataset has no match for it, which usually means its spelling is distinct enough that readers don't reach for a similar-looking word instead.

No explicit etymology string is stored for this entry, so its spelling is best explained by sound-to-letter mapping rather than etymology. The correct German form is in erster Linie, spelled I-N- -E-R-S-T-E-R- -L-I-N-I-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    an erster Stelle; vor allem

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

These source excerpts show how in erster Linie appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.

  1. Ich kenne jemanden, der in erster Linie viel Geld verdienen möchte, alles andere ordnet er dem unter.
  2. „Diese in erster Linie von Angst-Lust-Gefühlen geprägte Art, Fallen zu gustieren, ist jedoch nicht allein und durchgängig kennzeichnend für das Fallerleben. Sie ist vornehmlich für den Erstfaller und Neuling des Bungeejumping typisch.“

Synonyms

Antonyms

This word in other languages

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "in erster Linie"?
"in erster Linie" is spelled I-N- -E-R-S-T-E-R- -L-I-N-I-E. The IPA pronunciation is [ɪn ˈeːɐ̯stɐ ˌliːni̯ə].
What does "in erster Linie" mean?
As a phrase, "in erster Linie" means: an erster Stelle; vor allem
How do you pronounce "in erster Linie"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "in erster Linie" is [ɪn ˈeːɐ̯stɐ ˌliːni̯ə]. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "in erster Linie" come from?
"in erster Linie" is a German word. PlainSpell covers definitions, pronunciations, and spelling data across English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, and German.
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Yes, PlainSpell is a completely free word reference. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, confusable pairs, homophones, and spelling corrections across 5 languages without any sign-up or subscription.

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list