What are the nuanced usages of まず?


The following lines of dialogue is spoken by a girl to the narrative character
in a book I'm translating.

> 「普通の人なら、あの状況{じょうきょう}では **まず** 間違いなくパニックになるわ。
>
> 自分の置かれた状況を把握{はあく}しようとして、混乱しているうちに殺されていたはずよ。 でもあなたは違った。状況を把握するより先に状況に対処した。
> それがあなたの才能なの」

I know まず generally means 'first', but I am unable to parse out what 'first'
is denoting in the above line.

Does まず denote a aspect of time, as in 'first (time) in that situation...'.
Does it denote a action done by 普通の人 such as 'first they would have
panicked...'/'they certainly first would have panicked', etc? Does it denote
something else? Or does まず not mean 'first' in the above sentence, and instead
mean something along the lines of 'about', 'almost' or 'anyway', as defined on
[Jisho?](https://jisho.org/search/%E3%81%BE%E3%81%9A)

[Roughly Translated
Context](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1rv11_3d2_bQSZs5vn9XfB98_pk7TGdShLgQlKdBTaSg/edit)




> 「普通{ふつう}の人なら、あの​状況 {じょうきょう} ​では **まず** 間違{まちが}いなくパニックになるわ。」

「まず」, in this context, does not mean "first" as you stated.

In Japanese, it is synonymous to 「おそらく」、「ほぼ」、「多分{たぶん}」. In English, it would
be " ** _for the most part_** ", " ** _likely_** ", etc.

> Does まず denote a aspect of time, as in 'first (time)' in that situation?

No, not in that context, as I briefly explained above.

> Does it denote a action done by 普通の人 such as 'first they would have
> panicked...'/'they certainly first would have panicked', etc?

Sorry but no. It denotes a (rather high) probability or likelihood in the
sentence in question. It does **not** denote an order of actions taking place.
"First" is only one of the meanings of 「まず」.




> 「普通{ふつう}の人なら、あの​状況 {じょうきょう} ​では **まず** 間違{まちが}いなくパニックになるわ。」

「まず」, in this context, does not mean "first" as you stated.

In Japanese, it is synonymous to 「おそらく」、「ほぼ」、「多分{たぶん}」. In English, it would
be " ** _for the most part_** ", " ** _likely_** ", etc.

> Does まず denote a aspect of time, as in 'first (time)' in that situation?

No, not in that context, as I briefly explained above.

> Does it denote a action done by 普通の人 such as 'first they would have
> panicked...'/'they certainly first would have panicked', etc?

Sorry but no. It denotes a (rather high) probability or likelihood in the
sentence in question. It does **not** denote an order of actions taking place.
"First" is only one of the meanings of 「まず」.

