DictionaryAI

early

SayUR-lee/ˈɜɹli//ˈɜːli/

Adjectiveearlier, earliest

Adverbearlier, earliest

7 meanings of early

Practice

  1. 1
    first partadjective
    Happening or belonging near the beginning of a period of time, a process, or a development, such as the first years of a career or the first stages of something.

    Early jazz recordings from the 1920s have a distinctive crackle.

    The painting dates from the early Renaissance, soon after the style emerged.

    UsageBefore a noun: early results, early June, the early stages.

    Oppositelate

    Note

    Here the time is not ahead of anything; it sits near the front of a span: Shakespeare's early works, early June, early results.

    Checked 3 Nov 2026 · 1 fact

    • Shakespeare wrote works belonging to the early part of his career. folger.edu
  2. 2
    before the timeadverb
    Before the usual, expected, or arranged time; in good time.

    The meeting ended early, giving everyone a chance to grab lunch.

    They arrived early enough to find good seats near the stage.

    UsageCompares as earlier, earliest; with enough, it comes first: early enough (not incorrect: enough early).

    Oppositelate

  3. 3
    adjective
    Taking place ahead of the usual or expected time for an event.

    The government called an early election to settle the dispute.

    An early harvest this year meant the grapes were picked in August.

    Similarpremature, untimely

    Oppositelate, delayed, belated

    Note

    Here it means before an event's expected moment, as in an early lunch, an early death or an early onset of the monsoon. Unlike the "near the start" meaning, it always measures against a usual time: an early lunch comes before the normal lunch hour.

  4. 4
    adjective
    Occurring in the first hours of the day.

    We caught an early flight and landed before lunch.

    The fishermen set out in the early hours, before sunrise.

    UsageCommon phrases: early morning, the early hours.

    Oppositelate

Less common meanings

  1. 5
    morning shiftnouncolloquialcountable
    A scheduled work shift that takes place early in the day.

    I'm on an early tomorrow, so I need to be in bed by ten tonight.

    He hates doing earlies because he has to wake before dawn.

    UsageMostly plural: work earlies, be on earlies.

    Oppositelate

    Note

    A shift worker's noun, most at home in the plural: you work earlies, or, in Paul W. Browning's The Good Guys Wear Blue (2007), you parade on earlies.

    Checked 1 Nov 2026 · 2 facts

  2. 6
    adverb
    In the first part of a period of time, an event, or a process, or in the opening stage of someone's life or career.

    Early in his career, he worked as a reporter for a small-town paper.

    Doctors say the disease is easiest to treat when it is caught early.

    UsageWith in: early in his career, early in the game; also early on.

    Oppositelate

    Note

    The early of position, not of punctuality. Caught early leans on both: near the start of an illness, and before it would usually be found.

  3. 7
    adjective
    Of a star, belonging to the hotter spectral types (O, B and sometimes A), or to the hotter subtypes within a class, as in early K.

More uses

Practice

Can you tell the meanings of early apart? Answer 3 quick questions from this page, or write your own sentence and AI will check it.

Origins

Meanings 1, 3–5

Formed like ere + -ly, the Old English adjective ǣrlīċ ("early") became Middle English erly.

Checked 1 Nov 2026 · 3 facts

Meanings 2, 6

From Middle English erly, from Old English ǣrlīċe ("early; early in the morning"), the adverb form, equivalent to "ere" plus "-ly." It is cognate with Old Norse árliga, árla, which gave Danish årle, Swedish arla, and Norwegian årle.

Checked 31 Oct 2026 · 7 facts