early

[ ur-lee ]

/ ˈɜr li /

|||

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR early ON THESAURUS.COM

adverb, ear·li·er, ear·li·est.

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

in the early part of the morning: to get up early.

before the usual or appointed time; ahead of time: They came early and found their hosts still dressing.

far back in time: The Greeks early learned to sail and navigate.

adjective, ear·li·er, ear·li·est.

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.

occurring before the usual or appointed time: an early dinner.

belonging to a period far back in time: early French architecture.

occurring in the near future: I look forward to an early reply.

(of a fruit or vegetable) appearing or maturing before most others of its type: early apples.

noun, plural ear·lies.

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

Nearby words

earless seal, earlier han, earlobe, earlock, earlship, early, early adopter, early american, early bird, early bird catches the worm, early blight

Idioms

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

Origin of early

before 950; Middle English erlich (adj.), erliche (adv.), Old English ǣrlīc, ǣrlīce, mutated variant of ārlīc, ārlīce, equivalent to ār- early (positive of ǣr ere) + līc(e) -ly

SYNONYMS FOR early

5 initial.

6 beforehand, premature.

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR early ON THESAURUS.COM

Related forms

ear·li·ness, noun

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for earlier

Earlier this week, Huckabee ended his Fox News talk show so he could spend time mulling another bid for the Republican nomination.
Huckabee 2016: Bend Over and Take It Like a Prisoner!|Olivia Nuzzi|January 8, 2015|DAILY BEAST
In 2007, Huckabee said he stood by these earlier remarks, but would phrase them differently.
The Devil in Mike Huckabee|Dean Obeidallah|January 6, 2015|DAILY BEAST
The pilot had earlier called air-traffic control reporting heavy clouds and asked to move up to 38,000 feet from 32,000 feet.
The Presumed Crash of AirAsia Flight QZ8501 Is Nothing Like MH370|Lennox Samuels|December 29, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Correction: Officer Jose Rodriguez was misidentified in several places in an earlier version of this story.
Choking Back Tears, Thousands of Cops Honor Fallen Officer Ramos|Michael Daly|December 28, 2014|DAILY BEAST

Earlier, when the mayor spoke, some of the cops had turned their back on the Jumbotron that carried the service to the street.
Choking Back Tears, Thousands of Cops Honor Fallen Officer Ramos|Michael Daly|December 28, 2014|DAILY BEAST
If I was given the post, Colles was bound to consider what I had said in my earlier letter and give me some directions.
Prester John|John Buchan
This is intensified when agriculture and commerce take the place of earlier modes of life.
Ethics|John Dewey and James Hayden Tufts
In his earlier writings he gives six species but in the last edition of the Bushberg Catalogue thirteen are enumerated.
The Grapes of New York|U. P. Hedrick
It was in turning little things like these to account, that Mr. Clay, in the earlier period of his career, was so remarkable.
Harper's New Monthly Magazine, No. XXVII, August 1852, Vol. V|Various
It is singular how little warmth is necessary to encourage these earlier flowers to put forth!
Wake-Robin|John Burroughs

British Dictionary definitions for earlier

early

/ (ˈɜːlɪ) /

adjective -lier or -liest

before the expected or usual time

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

occurring in or characteristic of a period far back in time

occurring in the near future

at the earliest not before the time or date mentioned

early days too soon to tell how things will turn out

adverb -lier

before the expected or usual time

near the first part of a period or sequenceI was talking to him earlier

Derived Forms

earliness, noun

Word Origin for early

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

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Idioms and Phrases with earlier

early

In addition to the idioms beginning with early

early bird catches the worm
early on
early to bed, early to rise (makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise)

also see:

bright and early