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early

adverb

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ear·ly | \ ˈər-lē

earlier; earliest

Definition of early

(Entry 1 of 3)

1a : 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

2a : before the usual or expected time the train arrived early

b archaic : soon

c : sooner than related forms these apples bear early

early

adjective

earlier; earliest

Definition of early (Entry 2 of 3)

1a : 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

2a : 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

Early

biographical name

Ear·ly | \ ˈər-lē

Definition of Early (Entry 3 of 3)

Ju*bal \ ˈjü-bəl

\ Anderson 1816–1894 American Confederate general

Other Words from early Synonyms & Antonyms More Example Sentences Learn More about early

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Synonyms & Antonyms for early

Synonyms: Adverb

Synonyms: Adjective

Antonyms: Adverb

Antonyms: Adjective

late

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 Adams was not alone in dismissing masks early in the pandemic. — Miriam Fauzia, USA TODAY, "Fact check: Trump surgeon general initially dismissed mask-wearing, but then endorsed," 18 Feb. 2021 In a Friday evening news conference, DeWine chastised school districts that received the vaccines early but did not intend to return to in-person classes by March 1. — Jessie Balmert, The Enquirer, "Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine gives update on COVID-19 vaccine rollout," 17 Feb. 2021 West Virginia had a leg up by getting organized early. — Melody Schreiber, The New Republic, "Why West Virginia’s Vaccine Rollout Puts New York and California to Shame," 16 Feb. 2021 The mishaps began early and kept right on coming as traffic levels increased, with drivers on nearly every major highway feeling the effects. — Tim Harlow, Star Tribune, "Slick roads in Twin Cities lead to scores of crashes, spinouts," 12 Feb. 2021 As early as the 1400s scientists began to suspect that the regular tetrahedron — in which all four faces of the pyramid are equilateral triangles — can’t be used to fill space either. — Quanta Magazine, "Undergraduates Hunt for Special Tetrahedra That Fit Together," 9 Feb. 2021 After Indiana closed on a 9-0 run to take a 33-31 halftime lead, Iowa responded with a 14-2 spurt to take at 45-35 lead early in the second half. — Michael Marot, ajc, "Franklin's late shot sends Indiana past No. 8 Iowa 67-65," 7 Feb. 2021 Both the House and Senate plan to take up budget resolutions as early as next week that will include language allowing the aid package to pass without requiring the usual 60-vote threshold. — Susan Ferrechio, Washington Examiner, "Democrats ready to go it alone on next round of coronavirus aid," 1 Feb. 2021 County officials have said the Commissioners Court could take action as early as April, depending on the pandemic’s effect on the county’s tax revenues. — Scott Huddleston, San Antonio Express-News, "Major greenway trails linkage underway," 1 Feb. 2021 Recent Examples on the Web: Adjective The former vice president and 36-year senator also suggested a trade-off between debt forgiveness and spending for early childhood education. — Katherine Doyle, Washington Examiner, "Biden disappoints liberals on minimum wage hike and student loan forgiveness," 18 Feb. 2021 Now, fans of The Rock will get a glimpse into his early life thanks to NBC’s new family comedy Young Rock. — Selena Barrientos, Good Housekeeping, "Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson Fans Rally Behind Him After Seeing His Emotional Instagram," 17 Feb. 2021 And that's exactly why some of this early-filer buzz might be a bit confusing. — Susan Tompor, Detroit Free Press, "How the timing of your tax return could affect your third stimulus payout," 17 Feb. 2021 One tooth, discovered in deposits thought to be around 700,000 years old, looked like that of an early woolly mammoth, Mammuthus primigenius. — Kate Wong, Scientific American, "Mammoth Genomes Shatter Record for Oldest DNA Sequences," 17 Feb. 2021 Northeastern officials say it’s too early to tell if the school’s social media campaign is bringing more students back to the classroom. — Globe Staff, BostonGlobe.com, "Northeastern’s message to students: come back to class," 9 Feb. 2021 Some say it’s too early to tell if the corporate backlash will truly hurt Republicans. — Brian Slodysko, Anchorage Daily News, "Donor backlash fuels GOP alarm about Senate fundraising," 16 Jan. 2021 Salter signed with Tennessee during the early signing period in December. — Greg Riddle, Dallas News, "The Dallas Morning News’ 2020-21 Offensive Player of the Year: Cedar Hill’s Kaidon Salter," 4 Feb. 2021 After Frank Wilson was fired in Dec. 2019, Traylor came aboard with only about a week to prepare for the start of the early signing period. — Greg Luca, San Antonio Express-News, "UTSA solidifies Conference USA's top-ranked recruiting class as regular signing period opens," 3 Feb. 2021

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'early.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.