from the word go
In real, traceable use. Part of the curated seed collection; community review is coming.
Meaning · English
From the very beginning.
Where it’s used:
Used
Widespread English
Examples
Drama had, from the word go, a very definite appeal for the young Pigott Smith.
they should be thinking about it right from the word go.
British National Corpus sentence via the MAGPIE corpus (CC BY 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30)
Sources & notes
Listed in Wiktionary’s “English idioms” category (retrieved 2026-07-29); definition pending editorial review. Figurative class: Metaphor (PIE-English corpus, CC BY 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-31).
Common questions
What does “from the word go” mean?
From the very beginning.
Is “from the word go” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.