# earliest

Pronunciation: say "UR-lee-ist" US /ˈɝ.li.ɪst/, UK /ˈɜː.li.ɪst/

## Adjective

1. Superlative of early. — superlative form of early: most early
   - Simple: Superlative of early. Use it for the one that comes before all the others in time.
   - _The earliest records of the town date back to the 1600s._
   - _Her earliest paintings already showed remarkable skill._

## Adverb

2. Superlative of early. — superlative form of early: most early
   - Simple: Superlative of early. Use it to say something happens before everything else.
   - _Among the guests, the grandparents arrived earliest and helped set the table._
   - _The flowers that bloom earliest are the most vulnerable to a late frost._

Source: DictionaryAI, https://dictionaryai.com/define/earliest (written from Wiktionary data, CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).