About The Word Early

Bay Area Crosswords

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Early

Early Meaning & Definition
Early Definition And Meaning

What's The Definition Of Early?

[adv] before the usual time or the time expected; "she graduated early"; "the house was completed ahead of time"
[adv] in good time; "he awoke betimes that morning"
[adv] during an early stage; "early on in her career"
[adj] 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"
[adj] being or occurring at an early stage of development; "in an early stage"; "early forms of life"; "early man"; "an early computer"
[adj] (linguistics) 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"
[adj] very young; "at an early age"
[adj] expected in the near future; "look for an early end to the negotiations"

Synonyms | Synonyms for Early: aboriginal | advance(a) | ahead of time | archaean | archaeozoic | archaic | archean | archeozoic | azoic | baby | beforehand(p) | beginning(a) | betimes | crude | earlier | earliest | early on | earlyish | embryo(a) | embryonic | embryotic | future | immature | in embryo | inchoate | incipient | matutinal | new | novice(a) | Old | precocious | premature | previous(p) | primaeval | primal | primeval | primitive | primordial | proterozoic | proto(a) | rude | too soon | untimely | wee | young

Related Terms | Find terms related to Early: a priori | advanced | ages ago | ahead | ahead of time | already | anachronistic | ancient | anciently | antecedent | antedated | antediluvian | anterior | anticipative | anticipatory | antiquated | antique | away back | back | backward | before | before all | beforehand | beforetime | beginning | behind time | behindhand | betimes | bright and early | ci-devant | dated | earlier | elder | ere | ere then | erenow | erstwhile | ex post facto | first | fore | foredated | foregoing | forehand | forehanded | foresighted | foresightedly | former | formerly | heretofore | hitherto | immemorial | in advance | in ancient times | in anticipation | in good time | in olden times | in times past | inappropriate | initial | initially | inopportune | into the past | late | long ago | long since | metachronistic | misdated | mistimed | of old | of yore | old | olden | older | once | onetime | or ever | original | originally | out of date | out of season | overdue | oversoon | parachronistic | past | past due | pioneer | postdated | preceding | precipitant | precocious | precociously | precurrent | preexistent | prehistoric | premature | prematurely | prevenient | previous | previously | primal | prime | primeval | primitive | primordial | prior | priorly | pristine | prochronistic | quondam | recent | retroactive | retrospective | seasonably | senior | some time ago | some time back | sometime | soon | tardy | then | theretofore | timely | unanticipated | unexpected | unpunctual | unseasonable | untimely | years ago | yet

See Also | first

Early In Webster's Dictionary

\Ear"ly\ ([~e]r"l[y^]), adv. [OE. erli, erliche, AS. [=ae]rl[=i]ce; [=ae]r sooner + l[=i]c like. See {Ere}, and {Like}.] Soon; in good season; seasonably; betimes; as, come early. Those that me early shall find me. --Prov. viii. 17. You must wake and call me early. --Tennyson.
\Ear"ly\, a. [Compar. {Earlier} ([~e]r"l[i^]*[~e]r); superl. {Earliest}.] [OE. earlich. [root]204. See {Early}, adv.] 1. In advance of the usual or appointed time; in good season; prior in time; among or near the first; -- opposed to {late}; as, the early bird; an early spring; early fruit. Early and provident fear is the mother of safety. --Burke. The doorsteps and threshold with the early grass springing up about them. --Hawthorne. 2. Coming in the first part of a period of time, or among the first of successive acts, events, etc. Seen in life's early morning sky. --Keble. The forms of its earlier manhood. --Longfellow. The earliest poem he composed was in his seventeenth summer. --J. C. Shairp. {Early English} (Philol.) See the Note under {English}. {Early English architecture}, the first of the pointed or Gothic styles used in England, succeeding the Norman style in the 12th and 13th centuries. Syn: Forward; timely; not late; seasonable.

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