Lechatchila (לכתחילה) means to begin with in Hebrew.
It can also mean in the first place. It is an adverb, and the Hebrew dictionary's own definitions are below.
to begin with, in the first place
The stress falls on the part in bold.
The dictionary gives one meaning for Lechatchila.
The definitions are in Hebrew, as the dictionary writes them.
- 1מההתחלה
The word Lechatchila is an adverb.
- Written with vowel points
- לְכַתְּחִלָּה
- Written without vowel points
- לכתחילה
- Said
- lechatchila
- Root
- ח־ל־ל
- Gematria
- 503
This is how Lechatchila is said in other languages.
- English
- to begin with, in the first place
These words mean nearly the same as Lechatchila.
These words mean the opposite of Lechatchila.
These words rhyme with Lechatchila.
The word Lechatchila comes from the root ח־ל־ל, like these words.
These words come before and after Lechatchila in the dictionary.
These are the questions people ask about the word Lechatchila.
What does Lechatchila (לכתחילה) mean in Hebrew?
Lechatchila (לכתחילה) means to begin with and in the first place. It is said lechatchila, with the stress on chi.
What is a synonym for Lechatchila (לכתחילה)?
Words that mean nearly the same as Lechatchila (לכתחילה) are מראש.
What is the opposite of Lechatchila (לכתחילה)?
Words that mean the opposite of Lechatchila (לכתחילה) are בדיעבד and למפרע.
What rhymes with Lechatchila (לכתחילה)?
Words that rhyme with Lechatchila (לכתחילה) include חלילה, נרגילה, מנילה, פלוטילה, גורילה, and טקילה.
The definitions, pronunciation, synonyms and translations on this page are adapted from the entry לכתחלה of the Hebrew Wiktionary, read on 1 November 2026, and are shared under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence.