early

1 of 2

adverb

ear·​ly ˈər-lē How to pronounce early (audio)
earlier; earliest
1
a
: near the beginning of a period of time
awoke early in the morning
b
: near the beginning of a course, process, or series
early in his senatorial career
2
a
: before the usual or expected time
the train arrived early
b
archaic : soon
c
: sooner than related forms
these apples bear early

early

2 of 2

adjective

earlier; earliest
1
a
: of, relating to, or occurring near the beginning of a period of time, a development, or a series
in the early evening
the early symptoms of the disease
b(1)
: distant in past time
(2)
: primitive
early tools
2
a
: occurring before the usual or expected time
an early arrival
b
: occurring in the near future
at your earliest convenience
c
: maturing or producing sooner than related forms
an early peach
earliness noun

Examples of early in a Sentence

Adverb Early in his career he moved to the city. a word first recorded early in the 17th century They were trailing by a touchdown early in the fourth quarter. The package should be arriving early next week. She arrived early to help with the preparations. I got up early to finish packing. Adjective the early symptoms of the disease The early part of the book is better than the later part. We had an early spring this year. We're early. The show doesn't start for half an hour. I've always been an early riser.
Recent Examples on the Web
Adverb
The current generation of the latter, the R35, launched in 2009, and, earlier this month, Japanese publication Mag-X reported (via Car and Driver) that it would be discontinued following the 2025 model year and that the final version would be produced in limited numbers. Bryan Hood, Robb Report, 15 Mar. 2024 Andrés’s ship is the first attempt to deliver food by way of a maritime corridor announced earlier this month by the United States, the European Commission, the United Arab Emirates, Cyprus and Britain. Abigail Hauslohner, Washington Post, 15 Mar. 2024 Armorer Hannah Gutierrez Reed was found guilty of involuntary manslaughter earlier this month. Daniel S. Levine, Peoplemag, 15 Mar. 2024 Their son carried out his rampage using a gun his father had bought him as an early Christmas present four days earlier, though the defense maintained the gun was not really a gift, and was meant only to be used at the shooting range with his father. Tresa Baldas, Detroit Free Press, 15 Mar. 2024 Come early to pop into the Finnish sauna or 15-meter-long pool and stay cozy for as long as possible ensconced in one of the hanging chairs. Alia Akkam, Condé Nast Traveler, 14 Mar. 2024 For a housing market that came into the year thinking cuts could come as early as March, that delay is keeping mortgage rates elevated. Anna Bahney, CNN, 14 Mar. 2024 Nasrat Ahmad Yar, 31, was shot and killed in the early morning hours of July 3 while working as a Lyft driver, according to Metropolitan Police Department Assistant Chief Leslie Parsons, who offered an update on the investigation during a press conference earlier this week, per WJLA. Julia Moore, Peoplemag, 3 Mar. 2024 The Dolphins haven’t always had success tapping into the draft to build their trenches, but this year’s class is regarded as a strong one and could be the source of inexpensive, young players who can contribute early. Daniel Oyefusi, Miami Herald, 3 Mar. 2024
Adjective
On Saturday, Gladkov also said two people were killed in early morning attacks, including a truck driver whose vehicle was hit by a shell. Andrew Carey and Maria Kostenko, CNN, 16 Mar. 2024 Air travel Air travel plummeted during the early months of the pandemic, as people sheltered in place and borders closed around the world. Abha Bhattarai, Washington Post, 16 Mar. 2024 How do young women today make sense of your early life? Cynthia Littleton, Variety, 16 Mar. 2024 The Little Rock Police Department is investigating a shooting that killed a man early Saturday morning. Remington Miller, arkansasonline.com, 16 Mar. 2024 In December 2015, Shi nearly strangled Lin to death in early December, according to testimony. Andrew J. Campa, Los Angeles Times, 15 Mar. 2024 The storm, which brought small amounts of rain to some parts of metro Phoenix in the early afternoon, could also bring pea-sized hail as the system moved northward, according to the National Weather Service. The Arizona Republic, 15 Mar. 2024 The 24-hour vigil recreates early visitors’ 24 hours in the cave. Lanta Davis and Vince Reighard, Smithsonian Magazine, 15 Mar. 2024 Historically found on Indiana’s prairie lands thanks to pressure from wolves, coyotes expanded their range after European colonizers killed all of Indiana’s wolf populations in the early 1900s. Karl Schneider, The Indianapolis Star, 4 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'early.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Adverb

Middle English erly, from Old English ǣrlīce, from ǣr early, soon — more at ere

First Known Use

Adverb

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Adjective

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of early was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near early

Cite this Entry

“Early.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/early. Accessed 29 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

early

1 of 2 adverb
ear·​ly ˈər-lē How to pronounce early (audio)
earlier; earliest
1
: near the beginning of a period of time or of a process or series
woke up early
2
: before the usual or expected time
arrived early

early

2 of 2 adjective
earlier; earliest
1
a
: of, relating to, or occurring near the beginning of a period of time, a development, or a series
in the early evening
b
: primitive
early art forms
2
a
: occurring before the usual or expected time
had an early winter
b
: maturing or producing sooner than related forms
an early peach
earliness noun

Biographical Definition

Early

biographical name

Ear·​ly ˈər-lē How to pronounce Early (audio)
Ju*bal ˈjü-bəl How to pronounce Early (audio) Anderson 1816–1894 American Confederate general

More from Merriam-Webster on early

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