early adopter

American  

[ur-lee uh-dop-ter] / ˈɜr li əˈdɒp tər /

noun

1. a person who uses a new product or technology before it becomes widely known or used.

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early adopter British  

noun

1. one of the first people or organizations to make use of a new technology

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Etymology

Origin of early adopter

First recorded in 1845–50

Example Sentences

Gil had been an early adopter of e-commerce after his old store folded, and he made a nice living selling books on eBay and Amazon.

From Slate • Mar. 25, 2026

People who don’t live near one of these early adopter cities might not realize how common the sight of driverless cars has become.

From Barron's • Mar. 20, 2026

As an “SCTV” early adopter, O’Hara was first attractive to me because she was funny, but she was also beautiful — a beauty she could subvert by a subtle or broad rearrangement of her features.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 30, 2026

Japan was an early adopter of nuclear power - before 2011, nuclear accounted for nearly 30% of its electricity and the country planned to get that up to 50% by 2030.

From BBC • Jan. 22, 2026

KRATSIOS: Government adoption never is at the pace that you see in the private sector, and you never should expect the government to be an early adopter.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 6, 2025