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early
1[ ur-lee ]
adverb
- 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
- 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
- occurring before the usual or appointed time:
an early dinner.
Synonyms: premature, beforehand
- 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
- a fruit or vegetable that appears before most others of its type.
Early
2[ ur-lee ]
noun
- Ju·bal Anderson [joo, -b, uh, l], 1816–94, Confederate general in the U.S. Civil War.
early
/ ˈɜːlɪ /
adjective
- 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 earliestnot before the time or date mentioned
- early daystoo soon to tell how things will turn out
adverb
- before the expected or usual time
- near the first part of a period or sequence
I was talking to him earlier
Derived Forms
- ˈearliness, noun
Other Words From
- earli·ness noun
Word History and Origins
Word History and Origins
Origin of early1
Idioms and Phrases
- 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
The victim of a brutal axe killing in Ventura County earlier this week has been identified as the suspect’s younger brother, his family confirmed late Friday.
A schoolboy said he has been left "speechless and shocked" after being crowned Britain's top young strongman, despite only taking up the sport 10 weeks earlier.
But the film also boasts some phenomenal solo numbers, like MacKay’s expressive song “Alone” which appears early in the movie.
Finally, at about 9pm, the Speaker said he would close the vote early.
"The president's apology and his willingness to step down early, as well as delegating all political agendas to the party, did have an impact on my decision," he told the BBC ahead of the vote.
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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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