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

It was burned into Bedosky’s brain early on, as his mother, Deedie, graduated from the Missouri School of Journalism in 1964. —Quentin Corpuel, Kansas City Star, 6 Sep. 2025

It was originally supposed to hit the big screen in 2021 but arrived early on Disney+ in 2020 during the pandemic. —Jordan Moreau, Variety, 5 Sep. 2025

Jordan Wood, a former congressional aide, jumped into the race early on a platform of transparency. —Burgess Everett, semafor.com, 4 Sep. 2025

And what happens when signals get crossed early on? —Stephanie Zacharek, Time, 4 Sep. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1759, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for early on

• aileron
• antiphon
• autobahn
• carillon
• castellan
• celadon
• cephalon
• chitosan
• cynodon
• denouement
• deuteron
• echelon

Kids Definition

early on

adverb

: at or during an early point or stage

had decided early on not to accept