our first choice

USAGE SUMMARY

"our first choice" is correct and usable in written English.
You can use it when you are referring to the top option in a list or set of choices. For example, "After evaluating all of our options, our first choice was to close the office for the day."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

That's not our first choice.

The New York Times

Portugal would be our first choice.

The Guardian

"He was our first choice.

The Guardian - Sport

"Our first choice is a Chinese area.

The New York Times

"This was not our first choice.

The New York Times

Our first choice here is the nockerl.

The New York Times - Arts

Freda Payne was our first choice as singer.

The Guardian

Fábregas was our first choice for that position.

The Guardian - Sport

It's the last choice, it's not our first choice".

The New York Times

Our first choice is to sit down with those guys.

The New York Times

"This certainly wasn't our first choice," Ms. Clark said.

The New York Times

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When writing, consider the level of formality required. While "our first choice" is generally acceptable, more formal contexts might benefit from alternatives like "our preferred option".

Common error

A common mistake is not clearly defining who "our" refers to. Ensure the audience understands whose preference is being expressed. For instance, in a team report, clarify if it's the department's, the team's, or the company's "first choice".

Linguistic Context

The phrase "our first choice" functions as a determiner phrase that modifies a noun, indicating the preferred option among a set of possibilities. According to Ludwig, this phrase is grammatically correct and widely used. Examples show it used to express preferences in various contexts.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

62%

Science

16%

Formal & Business

10%

Less common in

Wiki

5%

Academia

3%

Social Media

2%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "our first choice" is a common and grammatically sound way to express a group's preference for a particular option. As Ludwig AI confirms, it’s widely used across diverse contexts, particularly in news and media. When using this phrase, ensure clarity regarding who "our" refers to and consider the level of formality required by the context. For professional or academic settings, you might want to use synonyms such as "our preferred option" for added precision. The phrase serves to communicate a decision or preference effectively, indicating that a specific option has been deemed the most suitable or desirable.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

our preferred option

Replaces 'first choice' with 'preferred option', emphasizing general liking over a specific selection order.

our top pick

Uses 'top pick' to suggest the selection is the best among several possibilities.

our primary selection

Substitutes 'first choice' with 'primary selection', highlighting the main selection from available options.

our leading candidate

Frames the choice in terms of a competition or selection process, where the 'leading candidate' is the most favored.

our foremost option

Employs 'foremost option' to denote the most important or prominent choice.

our favored alternative

Replaces 'first choice' with 'favored alternative', suggesting a preference among different possibilities.

the option we favor most

Uses a more descriptive structure to express the idea of a preferred choice.

the route we prefer

Frames the 'first choice' as a preferred course of action or method.

the one we prefer most

Similar to 'the option we favor most' but simpler and more direct.

our initial preference

Uses 'initial preference' to denote the first choice as a preliminary leaning.

FAQs

How can I use "our first choice" in a sentence?

You can use "our first choice" to indicate a preferred option among several possibilities. For example, "After careful consideration, the new marketing strategy is "our first choice"".

What are some alternatives to "our first choice"?

Depending on the context, you could use alternatives like "our preferred option", "our top pick", or "our primary selection".

Is it better to say "our first choice" or "my first choice"?

The choice depends on whether you are expressing a group preference or an individual preference. Use "our first choice" when representing a collective decision, and use "my first choice" for a personal preference.

What does "our first choice" imply?

"Our first choice" implies that among several options, there is one that is most preferred or considered the best by a group. It suggests a decision-making process where different alternatives were evaluated.