firstwave

Firstwave is a term used to describe the initial phase of a broader, multi-stage process, movement, or phenomenon. It serves as a shorthand for the early period before subsequent waves of change occur, and its precise meaning depends on the context in which it is used.

One of the most widely cited uses is first-wave feminism, a social and political movement that began in the 19th century and extended into the early 20th. Its focus was on legal rights and civic participation for women, particularly suffrage. In the United States, advocacy culminated in the passage of the 19th Amendment in 1920, while in Britain and other countries, voting rights and related legal reforms were pursued during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Beyond suffrage, first-wave feminism also addressed property, education, and contractual rights for women in various jurisdictions.

In other domains, the term first wave appears in contexts such as epidemiology and disaster studies, where it denotes the initial surge of cases or impacts during an outbreak or event, typically followed by subsequent waves that reflect evolving transmission patterns or responses. In technology and industry, it can describe the earliest stage of a technology’s adoption or development, characterized by pilots, early adopters, and limited deployments before wider mainstream use. In cultural and media studies, scholars sometimes refer to a first wave of digital media or platform adoption to distinguish foundational, early forms from later, more mature phases.

Because the term is broad, its scope varies by field. It is often clarified with a more precise designation (for example, first wave feminism or first wave of a pandemic) to avoid ambiguity. See also second wave and third wave.