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early

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

Synonyms

early on ahead of time too soon other former betimes

Antonyms

middle late belatedly tardily later

See also

first

Words of close approximity