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1. Dictionary

   early

   /ˈəːli/

   adjective

   • 1. happening or done before the usual or expected time: "we ate an early lunch" Similar untimelyprematuretoo soontoo earlybefore timearchaic:unseasonableprompttimelyquickspeedyrapidfastwithout delayexpeditiousarchaic:ratheOpposite overdue
   • ▪ (of a plant or crop) flowering or ripening before other varieties: "early potatoes"
   • 2. belonging or happening near the beginning of a particular period: "an early goal secured victory" Similar advanceforwardpriorinitialpreliminaryfirstprimarypilottesttrialOpposite late
   • ▪ done or occurring near the beginning of the day: "we agreed to meet at 6 am to get an early start"
   • ▪ denoting or belonging to the beginning of a historical period or cultural movement: "early impressionism"
   • ▪ occurring at the beginning of a sequence: "the earlier chapters of the book"

   adverb

   • 1. before the usual or expected time: "I was planning to finish work early today" Similar early in the dayin the early morningat dawnat daybreakat cockcrowwith the larkinformal:at stupid o'clockbefore the usual timebefore the appointed timeprematurelytoo soonahead of timeahead of schedulein good timeliterary:betimesOpposite late
   • 2. near the beginning of a particular time or period: "we lost a couple of games early in the season"
   • ▪ near the beginning of the day: "I wrote this piece early one morning"
   • ▪ before the present time or before the time one is referring to: "you met my husband earlier"

   noun

   • 1. potatoes which are ready to be harvested before the main crop.
   • 2. early shifts: informal "she is on earlies"

   Word Origin Old English (as an adverb) ǣrlīce (see ere, -ly2), influenced by Old Norse árliga. The adjective use dates from Middle English.

   Derivatives

   • 1. earliness noun

   Scrabble Points: 8

   • E

     1

   • A

     1

   • R

     1

   • L

     1

   • Y

     4

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   More definitions, origin and scrabble points

2. www.merriam-webster.com › dictionary › earlyEarly Definition & Meaning - Merriam-Webster

   www.merriam-webster.com › dictionary › early

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   The meaning of EARLY is near the beginning of a period of time. How to use early in a sentence.

3. dictionary.cambridge.org › dictionary › englishEARLY | English meaning - Cambridge Dictionary

   dictionary.cambridge.org › dictionary › english

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   EARLY definition: 1. near the beginning of a period of time, or before the usual, expected, or planned time: 2…. Learn more.

4. www.dictionary.com › browse › earlyEARLY Definition & Meaning | Dictionary.com

   www.dictionary.com › browse › early

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   Early definition: in or during the first part of a period of time, a course of action, a series of events, etc.. See examples of EARLY used in a sentence.

5. www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com › definition › englishearly adjective - Definition, pictures, pronunciation and usage...

   www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com › definition › english

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   arriving, or done before the usual, expected or planned time. You're early! I wasn't expecting you till seven. The bus was ten minutes early. an early breakfast. He learnt to play the piano at an early age. Let's make an early start tomorrow. She's an early riser (= she gets up early in the morning).

6. www.collinsdictionary.com › dictionary › englishEARLY definition and meaning | Collins English Dictionary

   www.collinsdictionary.com › dictionary › english

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   Early means near the beginning of a period in history, or in the history of something such as the world, a society, or an activity. ...the early stages of pregnancy. ...Fassbinder's early films.

7. www.vocabulary.com › dictionary › earlyEarly - Definition, Meaning & Synonyms | Vocabulary.com

   www.vocabulary.com › dictionary › early

   Something that's early happens right at the beginning of some specific time period, or before you expect it to happen. An early party guest shows up before the party starts. An early riser gets up with the sun every morning, and you might eat an early dinner at five in the evening.

8. www.thefreedictionary.com › earlyEarly - definition of early by The Free Dictionary

   www.thefreedictionary.com › early

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   a. Of or belonging to a previous or remote period of time: the early inhabitants of the British Isles. b. Of or belonging to an initial stage of development: an early form of life; an early computer. 3. Occurring, developing, or appearing before the expected or usual time: an early spring; an early retirement. 4.

9. dictionary.cambridge.org › dictionary › learner-englishEARLY | meaning - Cambridge Learner's Dictionary

   dictionary.cambridge.org › dictionary › learner-english

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   EARLY definition: 1. near the beginning of a period of time, process, etc: 2. before the usual time or the time that…. Learn more.

10. www.dictionary.com › browse › early'sEARLY Definition & Usage Examples | Dictionary.com

    www.dictionary.com › browse › early's

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    Early definition: in or during the first part of a period of time, a course of action, a series of events, etc.. See examples of EARLY used in a sentence.

11. www.ldoceonline.com › dictionary › earlyearly | meaning of early in Longman Dictionary of Contemporary...

    www.ldoceonline.com › dictionary › early

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    early. From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English ear‧ly1 /ˈɜːli $ ˈɜːrli/ S1 W1 adjective (comparative earlier, superlative earliest) 1 first part in the first part of a period of time, event, or process the early morning sunshine an afternoon in early spring In the early days, the railways mainly carried goods.