Definition Definition

early - Meaning and Examples

Meaning of 'early' (Webster Dictionary)

1 . Early [ adv.]
- Soon; in good season; seasonably; betimes; as, come early.
- In advance of the usual or appointed time; in good season; prior in time; among or near the first; -- opposed to late; as, the early bird; an early spring; early fruit.
- Coming in the first part of a period of time, or among the first of successive acts, events, etc.

Meaning of 'early' (Princeton's WordNet)

1 . early [ a]
Meaning (1):
- being or occurring at an early stage of development
Example in sentence:
  • an early computer;
  • early forms of life;
  • early man;
  • in an early stage
Meaning (2):
- at or near the beginning of a period of time or course of events or before the usual or expected time
Example in sentence:
  • an early death;
  • an early spring;
  • an early warning;
  • early diagnosis;
  • early morning;
  • early varieties of peas and tomatoes mature before most standard varieties;
  • took early retirement
Meaning (3):
- of an early stage in the development of a language or literature
Example in sentence:
  • Early Modern English is represented in documents printed from 1476 to 1700;
  • the Early Hebrew alphabetical script is that used mainly from the 11th to the 6th centuries B.C.
4 . early [ r]
Meaning (4):
- during an early stage
Example in sentence:
  • early on in her career
Meaning (5):
- in good time
Example in sentence:
  • he awoke betimes that morning
Meaning (6):
- before the usual time or the time expected
Example in sentence:
  • she graduated early;
  • the house was completed ahead of time
7 . early [ s]
Meaning (7):
- very young
Example in sentence:
  • at an early age
Meaning (8):
- belonging to the distant past
Example in sentence:
  • former generations;
  • in other times;
  • the early inhabitants of Europe
Meaning (9):
- expected in the near future
Example in sentence:
  • look for an early end to the negotiations

Nearby Words:

ear ear-bored ear-piercer ear-shell ear-splitting earable earache earal earcap earcockle

See 'early' also in:

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