early

[ur-lee]

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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.

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

Related formsear·li·ness, noun

Synonyms for early

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR early ON THESAURUS.COM

5. initial. 6. beforehand, premature.

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

Related Words for earliest

archetypal, original, primal, primeval, primitive

Examples from the Web for earliest

Contemporary Examples of earliest

She adds that some of the earliest voting booths were stationed inside drinking establishments.
The Bars That Made America Great
Nina Strochlic
December 28, 2014
Hitchcock saw the work of, and probably met, Murnau, the great German filmmaker--the earliest master of bleak light and shadow.
Alfred Hitchcock’s Fade to Black: The Great Director’s Final Days
David Freeman
December 13, 2014
Indeed the earliest vaccinations against small pox were done 1,000 years ago in China.
Powdered Measles Vaccine Could Be Huge for Developing World
Kent Sepkowitz
December 2, 2014
One of her earliest memories of life in the Bronx is visiting the library with her mother and sister.
The Singular Artist of New Yorkistan
Lizzie Crocker
November 14, 2014
One of the earliest ticker-tape parades was for Teddy Roosevelt when he returned from an African safari in 1910.
It’s Time for Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans to Get a Parade of Their Own
Michael Daly
November 11, 2014

Historical Examples of earliest

The earliest inhabitants of the world did not know what it was.
Ancient Man
Hendrik Willem van Loon
They were Europeans, and their earliest home had been in the Isle of Crete.
Ancient Man
Hendrik Willem van Loon
Was it not thus he had been from earliest childhood taught to look at them?
Weighed and Wanting
George MacDonald
Why, from my earliest years I had been accustomed to think of myself as plain, and had not cared.
The Bacillus of Beauty
Harriet Stark
From earliest childhood I saw a good deal of them, and I know what I say.
In the Valley
Harold Frederic

British Dictionary definitions for earliest

early

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 Formsearliness, 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

Word Origin and History for earliest

early

adv.

Old English ærlic "early," from ær "soon, ere" (see ere) + -lice, adverbial suffix (see -ly (2)). Cf. Old Norse arliga "early." The early bird of the proverb is from 1670s. Related: Earlier; earliest.

Idioms and Phrases with earliest

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