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View synonyms for early

early

1

[ ur-lee ]

adverb

, ear·li·er, ear·li·est.
  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

, ear·li·er, ear·li·est.
  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 ear·lies.
  1. a fruit or vegetable that appears before most others of its type.

Early

2

[ ur-lee ]

noun

  1. Ju·bal Anderson [joo, -b, uh, l], 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. at the earliest
    not before the time or date mentioned
  6. early days
    too soon to tell how things will turn out
“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

adverb

  1. before the expected or usual time
  2. near the first part of a period or sequence

    I was talking to him earlier

“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
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Derived Forms

  • ˈearliness, noun
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Other Words From

  • earli·ness noun
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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
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Word History and Origins

Origin of early1

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

After Ronald Reagan's 1980 election, he established the Private Sector Survey on Cost Control, commonly called the Grace Commission, in an early effort to “drain the swamp.”

From Salon

An astounding 74% of mothers and 66% of fathers have been forced to leave work early, arrive to work late or skip it entirely due to “last-minute childcare disruptions,” per the Independent Restaurant Coalition.

From Salon

Damascus residents reached via the Whatsapp messaging platform reported hearing sustained gunfire starting in the early morning and continuing for hours.

Ironically, just nine months earlier, before the start of the 2024 IPL season, it was Pant whose career looked in jeopardy.

From BBC

The UK agreed earlier this year to hand over the Chagos Islands to Mauritius in a historic move.

From BBC

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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.

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