early
ˈɜːrli
earlierearliest
Definition Synonyms

Definition of early - Reverso English Dictionary

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Adverb

1.
time-relatedbefore the expected or usual time
  • She arrived early to prepare for the meeting..
beforehand prematurely
2.
punctualitysoon or in good time
  • He finished his homework early.
promptly punctually
3.
sequence-relatednear the beginning of a period or sequence
  • He woke up early in the morning..
initially prematurely

Adjective

1.
schedulingnear the beginning of a span, or sooner than normal
  • We left early to avoid traffic.
2.
developmentin the initial stages of development
  • The project is still in its early phases.
incipient initial nascent
3.
historybelonging to a distant past
  • The early civilizations were fascinating.
ancient archaic
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Expressions with early

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person who wakes up very early
She's an early bird, always up by 5 AM.
leaving an event earlier than planned
She took an early shower and left the party.
leaving work or an event early
He took an early bath to avoid the traffic.
someone who develops skills or talents early
She was an early bloomer in mathematics, solving complex problems at a young age.
very early in the morning
We woke up bright and early for the hike.
discount offered to customers who arrive early
The restaurant offers an early bird special for diners who arrive before 6 PM.

Origin of early

Old English, ǣrlice (soon)

Terms with early included in their meaning

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time of day
later part of the day and early part of the night
time of day
early part of the day from midnight to noon
time of day
early part of the day from sunrise to noon
youngadj.
life
in the early part of life or growth
time
during the early part of the day
age group
male in teenage years or early adulthood
age specific
female person in her late teens to early thirties
soonadv.
early timing
early in a period

Examples of early in a sentence

  • The store opens early on weekends for special sales.
  • She arrived at the meeting early.
  • The train reached the station early.
  • She arrived early to the meeting.
  • The flowers bloom early in spring.
  • She caught an early flight to make the morning meeting.

View all translations of early

Click below to see the appropriate translations facing each meaning.
  1. French:tôt, matinal, ...
  2. German:früh, verfrüht, ...
  3. Italian:in anticipo, anticipato, ...
  4. Spanish:temprano, adelantado, ...
  5. Portuguese:cedo, antecipado, ...
  6. Chinese:提前, 提前的, ...
  7. Japanese:早く, 早い, ...
  8. Arabic:مُبَكِّرًا, مُبَكِّر, ...
  9. Hebrew:מוּקְדָם, מוּקְדָּם, ...
  10. Russian:рано, ранний, ...
  11. Ukrainian:заздалегідь, ранній, ...
  12. Hindi:जल्दी, प्रारंभिक, ...
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