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 To support literacy and vision development, parents should read to their child early on, limit screen time and watch out for any red flags as vision develops, pediatrician Edward S. Curry said. Isabella Balandran, Los Angeles Times, 18 Apr. 2024 Motorists drive along a flooded street following heavy rains in Dubai early on April 17, 2024.GIUSEPPE CACACE/Getty Images Dubai is underwater. Amit Katwala, WIRED, 17 Apr. 2024 Most notably, Verizon was a launch partner for Disney+, giving many of its customers one free year of the service, and helping Disney+ gain substantial market share early on. Alex Weprin, The Hollywood Reporter, 16 Apr. 2024 Although the overall mood sounds pretty dour, the tone set early on in the series is more akin to a satirical take on Mad Max than an overly dark introspective on the horrors of the new world. Christopher Cruz, Rolling Stone, 12 Apr. 2024 Lori Harvey and Kylie Jenner endorsed the label’s edgy and curve-conscious designs early on, with the former wearing its best-selling Kabun dress in 2022. Indya Brown, Essence, 5 Apr. 2024 Tori Spelling can admit that there were signs early on in her relationship with Dean McDermott that challenged her. Julia Moore, Peoplemag, 1 Apr. 2024 The tired legs some might’ve expected from DU after Thursday’s double-OT win didn’t materialize early on, as the Pioneers dominated the puck in the opening five minutes. Matt Schubert, The Denver Post, 30 Mar. 2024 Papini spent part of her sentence in a Sacramento halfway house and was released from custody eight months early on Sept. 29, 2023, Federal Bureau of Prisons records show. Sam Stanton, Sacramento Bee, 25 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'early on.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1759, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of early on was in 1759

Dictionary Entries Near early on

Cite this Entry

“Early on.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/early%20on. Accessed 26 Apr. 2024.

Kids Definition

early on

adverb
: at or during an early point or stage
had decided early on not to accept
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!