earlier; earliest
1
a
: near the beginning of a period of time
awoke early in the morning
b
: near the beginning of a course, process, or series
early in his senatorial career
2
a
: before the usual or expected time
the train arrived early
b
archaic
: soon
c
: sooner than related forms
these apples bear early
earlier; earliest
1
a
: of, relating to, or occurring near the beginning of a period of time, a development, or a series
in the early evening
the early symptoms of the disease
b(1)
: distant in past time
(2)
: primitive
early tools
2
a
: occurring before the usual or expected time
an early arrival
b
: occurring in the near future
at your earliest convenience
c
: maturing or producing sooner than related forms
an early peach
earliness
noun
Synonyms of early
Relevance
Adverb
Adjective
Examples of early in a Sentence
Adverb
Early in his career he moved to the city.
a word first recorded early in the 17th century
They were trailing by a touchdown early in the fourth quarter.
The package should be arriving early next week.
She arrived early to help with the preparations.
I got up early to finish packing.
Adjective
the early symptoms of the disease
The early part of the book is better than the later part.
We had an early spring this year.
We're early. The show doesn't start for half an hour.
I've always been an early riser.
Recent Examples on the Web
Natalie Neysa Alund, USA Today, 12 May 2026
Kyndall Brown, 28, was selected earlier this year as the School District of Osceola County’s teacher of the year, putting her in the running for the statewide award.
—Steven Walker, The Orlando Sentinel, 12 May 2026
Steve Galluzzo, Los Angeles Times, 18 May 2026
Ryanair has had to lower prices to attract customers in early summer, but prices are going to look similar to last year in the company's second quarter, Citi analysts said in a note Monday.
—Sawdah Bhaimiya, CNBC, 18 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for early
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
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Adverb
The latest case was reported by France on Monday and involved a passenger who disembarked the ship one day earlier, Olivier le Polain, unit head of epidemiology and analytics for response with the WHO, said.
—Natalie Neysa Alund, USA Today, 12 May 2026
Kyndall Brown, 28, was selected earlier this year as the School District of Osceola County’s teacher of the year, putting her in the running for the statewide award.
—Steven Walker, The Orlando Sentinel, 12 May 2026
Adjective
Guard Kiki Rice, who led UCLA to the national championship in early April, added 19.
—Steve Galluzzo, Los Angeles Times, 18 May 2026
Ryanair has had to lower prices to attract customers in early summer, but prices are going to look similar to last year in the company's second quarter, Citi analysts said in a note Monday.
—Sawdah Bhaimiya, CNBC, 18 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for early
Cite this Entry
“Early.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/early. Accessed 18 May. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
early
1 of 2 adverb
ear·ly
ˈər-lē 
earlier; earliest
1
: near the beginning of a period of time or of a process or series
woke up early
2
: before the usual or expected time
arrived early
early
2 of 2 adjective
earlier; earliest
1
a
: of, relating to, or occurring near the beginning of a period of time, a development, or a series
in the early evening
b
: primitive
early art forms
2
a
: occurring before the usual or expected time
had an early winter
b
: maturing or producing sooner than related forms
an early peach
earliness
noun
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