early

¹

[ur-lee]

adverb

earlier, earliest 

1. in or during the first part of a period of time, a course of action, a series of events, etc..

   early in the year.

2. in the early part of the morning.

   to get up early.

3. before the usual or appointed time; ahead of time.

   They came early and found their hosts still dressing.

4. far back in time.

   The Greeks early learned to sail and navigate.

adjective

earlier, earliest 

1. occurring in the first part of a period of time, a course of action, a series of events, etc..

   an early hour of the day.

   Synonyms: initial

2. occurring before the usual or appointed time.

   an early dinner.

   Synonyms: premature, beforehand

3. belonging to a period far back in time.

   early French architecture.

4. occurring in the near future.

   I look forward to an early reply.

5. (of a fruit or vegetable) appearing or maturing before most others of its type.

   early apples.

noun

plural

earlies 

1. a fruit or vegetable that appears before most others of its type.

Early

²

[ur-lee]

noun

1. Jubal Anderson 1816–94, Confederate general in the U.S. Civil War.

early

/ ˈɜːlɪ /

adjective

1. before the expected or usual time

2. occurring in or characteristic of the first part of a period or sequence

3. occurring in or characteristic of a period far back in time

4. occurring in the near future

5. not before the time or date mentioned

6. too soon to tell how things will turn out

adverb

1. before the expected or usual time

2. near the first part of a period or sequence

   I was talking to him earlier

Other Word Forms

• earliness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of early¹

First recorded before 950; Middle English erlich (adjective), erliche (adverb), Old English ǣrlīc, ǣrlīce, variant of ārlīc, ārlīce, from ār “soon, early” ( ere ) + līc(e) -ly

Word History and Origins

Origin of early¹

Old English ǣrlīce, from ǣr _ere + -līce _-ly ²; related to Old Norse arliga

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

1. early on, with but little time elapsed; early in the course of a process, project, etc.; early in the game.

More idioms and phrases containing early

• bright and early

Example Sentences

Gonzales, the ward leader and professor at BYU, believes this step speaks volumes about the Church’s efforts, despite challenges earlier this year with the takedown of its Dreamer center.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

And earlier this year, Mike Verdu, vice president of GenAI for games who was tasked with building the division, left the company.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

A man suspected of killing a woman in Carlsbad on Friday night and fleeing in her SUV was killed early Saturday in a shootout with police outside an Orange County In-N-Out Burger.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

This included speaking alongside President Emmanuel Macron of France and other world leaders at the Blue Economy and Finance Forum in Monaco earlier this year.

Read more on BBC

We learn that a horrific accident happened many years earlier, when the friend’s son fell from a ledge.

Read more on Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• beforehand 
• briefly 
• directly 
• immediately 
• prematurely www.thesaurus.com
• previous 
• promptly 
• quick 
• shortly 
• soon 
• too soon www.thesaurus.com
• unexpectedly