Early

biographical name

Ear·​ly ˈər-lē How to pronounce Early (audio)
Synonyms of Earlynext
Ju*bal ˈjü-bəl How to pronounce Early (audio) Anderson 1816–1894 American Confederate general

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Cite this Entry

“Early.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Early. Accessed 11 Jun. 2026.

Kids Definition

early

1 of 2 adverb
ear·​ly ˈər-lē How to pronounce early (audio)
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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