early

At a time in advance of the usual or expected event.

Adjective

  1. At a time in advance of the usual or expected event.
    • at eleven, we went for an early lunch; she began reading at an early age; his mother suffered an early death
    • Floods in northern India, mostly in the small state of Uttarakhand, have wrought disaster on an enormous scale. The early, intense onset of the monsoon on June 14th swelled rivers, washing away roads, bridges, hotels...
  2. Arriving a time before expected; sooner than on time.
    • You're early today! I don't usually see you before nine o'clock.
    • The early guests sipped their punch and avoided each other's eyes.
  3. After but close to the start of a period of time.
    • The play "Two Gentlemen of Verona" is one of Shakespeare's early works.
    • Early results showed their winning 245 out of 300 seats in parliament. The main opponent locked up only 31 seats.
    • 'Twas early June, the new grass was flourishing everywheres, the posies in the yard—peonies and such—in full bloom, the sun was shining, and the water of the bay was blue, with light green streaks where the shoal...
  4. In the starting hours of the day.
    • It's too early for this sort of thing. I'm not awake yet.
  5. Having begun to occur; in its early stages.
    • early cancer
    • harvesting early peaches
  6. Of a star or class of stars, hotter than the sun.

    Antonyms: late

Origin

From Middle English erly, erlich, earlich, from Old English ǣrlīċ (“early”, adjective), equivalent to ere + -ly.

Forms

earlier earliest

Synonyms

premature first new early early doors

Antonyms

late terminal mid middle

Hyponyms

initial

Related

premature

Derived

be a hundred years too early call it an early night earliness early adopter early and late Early Assamese early bath early bells early binding early bird early bird special early blight early bloomer early-bound early bright early childhood early childhood education early closing earlycomer early crow early day motion early-day motion early days early door

Adverb

  1. At a time before expected; sooner than usual.
    • We finished the project an hour sooner than scheduled, so we left early.
    • I had children too early (in life), so my first baby arrived early.
    • No matter how early I came down, I would find him on the veranda, smoking cigarettes, or otherwise his man would be there with a message to say that his master would shortly join me if I would kindly wait. - 1897...
  2. Soon; in good time; seasonably.
    • [T]thoſe that ſeeke me early, ſhall find me. - 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Proverbs 8:17, column 1:
    • You must wake and call me early, call me early, mother dear; / Tomorrow 'ill be the happiest time of all the blythe Newyear; […] - 1832 December (indicated as 1833), Alfred Tennyson, “The May Queen”, in Poems, London:...

Origin

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *h₂ey- Proto-Indo-European *-eri Proto-Indo-European *h₂éyeri Proto-Germanic *airi Proto-Germanic *airiz Old English ǣr Proto-Indo-European *leyg-der. Proto-Germanic *līkąder. Proto-Germanic *-līkaz Proto-Germanic *-ê Proto-Germanic *-līkê Proto-West Germanic *-līkē Old English -līċe Old English ǣrlīċe Middle English erly English early From Middle English erly, orely, arely, erliche, arliche, from Old English ǣrlīċe, ārlīċe (“early; early in the morning”, adverb), equivalent to ere + -ly. Cognate with Old Norse árliga, árla ( > Danish årle, Swedish arla, Norwegian årle, Faroese árla).

Forms

earlier earliest

Synonyms

prematurely

Antonyms

late tardily

Derived

bright and early Christmas come early

Noun

  1. A shift (scheduled work period) that takes place early in the day.
    • On my first day on the watch after leaving the shoplifting squad I paraded on earlies but had completely forgotten to take my ear ring off. - 2007, Paul W. Browning, The Good Guys Wear Blue, page 193:

Forms

earlies

Antonyms

late