Early

Quick meaning: Early is an adjective meaning At a time in advance of the usual or expected event.

Meaning

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

More Meanings

1. Arriving a time before expected; sooner than on time.
2. After but close to the start of a period of time.
3. In the starting hours of the day.
4. Having begun to occur; in its early stages.
5. (astronomy) Of a star or class of stars, hotter than the sun.
6. (informal) A shift (scheduled work period) that takes place early in the day.
7. At a time before expected; sooner than usual.

Example Sentences

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.

The play "Two Gentlemen of Verona" is one of Shakespeare's early works.

at eleven, we went for an early lunch; she began reading at an early age; his mother suffered an early death

Word Forms

• earlier
• earliest
• earlies

Synonyms for early

Depending on context, synonyms include premature, first, new, prematurely, crude, archaic.

Antonyms for early

Common opposites include late, terminal, mid, middle, tardily, belatedly.

Related Words

Related dictionary entries include premature, immature, previous, beforehand, future, past.

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