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

Voters got an early display of that work ethic when Takaichi slept in a parliamentary dormitory and got to her office to begin work at 3 a.m. on Nov. 7.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Hinkley Point C in Somerset is expected to start operating in the early 2030s, while Sizewell C - which the government says will capable of powering six million homes - will follow later that decade.

Read more on BBC

New York was one of 22 ports visited in 15 countries on its earlier ill-fated trip.

Read more on Barron's

The remarks saw the chances of a cut shoot up to about 70 percent, from 35 percent earlier.

Read more on Barron's

German psychiatric researchers of the early 20th century sought the causes of schizophrenia and other disorders in brain biology, an intellectual current that influenced the doctors who later carried out T4, as Ms. Antonetta writes.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

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