early on

adverb

: at or during an early point or stage

the reasons were obvious early on in the experiment

Using Early on: Usage Guide

This adverb is sometimes objected to in American writing as an obtrusive Briticism. It is a relative newcomer to the language, having arisen in British English around 1928. It seems to have filled a need, however. It came into frequent use in American English in the late 1960s and is now well established on both sides of the Atlantic in both speech and writing.

Examples of early on in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Philosophy lecturer Gary Johnson (Glen Powell) posits this question to his University of New Orleans class early on in Richard Linklater’s Hit Man. —Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 24 May 2024

But a high standard was set early on by the 2002 appearance of Gollum. —Phillip MacIak, New York Times, 23 May 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1759, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

early on

adverb

: at or during an early point or stage

had decided early on not to accept