earliest

adjective

Definition of earliestnext
as in first
coming before all others in time or order the earliest computers were massive machines that practically filled up a room

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Examples Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for earliest
  1. first
  2. initial
  3. original
  4. foremost
Adjective
  • The superstar also traveled with Furnish to the Toronto Film Festival in September, sitting between his husband and Cutler, for the first public screening of the documentary.
    Melissa Ruggieri, USA TODAY, 14 Dec. 2024
  • The couple's first child, Spurgeon, was born in November 2015, followed by Henry in February 2017.
    Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 13 Dec. 2024
Definition of first
Adjective
  • Assuming an initial retail price of $25 per month, or $300 per year, Fishman sees the new platform generating some $259 million in incremental revenue in 2026, given a base of 1 million paying customers.
    Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 18 Dec. 2024
  • But when things take a trippy turn during their initial make-out, they are suddenly doomed to relive the same day over and again, Groundhog Day-style.
    Elise Taylor, Vogue, 18 Dec. 2024
Definition of initial
Adjective
  • Top Stories: Only five people know the original Modjeska recipe, and anyone who makes the candy at Muth's Candies in Louisville must learn it by heart.
    Ray Padilla, The Courier-Journal, 14 Dec. 2024
  • Post falsely claims image shows Bashar Assad in Moscow The original CNN video, posted on Dec. 6, shows international correspondent Jomana Karadsheh interviewing al-Golani about the rebel advance in Syria.
    Andre Byik, USA TODAY, 14 Dec. 2024
Definition of original
Adjective
  • Despite being one of the industry’s foremost data analysts, Larissa Jensen is a storyteller at heart.
    James Manso, WWD, 13 Dec. 2024
  • The founder is one of India’s foremost fashion curators who brought Indian fashion together for 30 years.
    Shelby Wax, Vogue, 13 Dec. 2024
Definition of foremost
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Thesaurus Entries Near earliest

earlier

earliest

earliness

See More Nearby Entries 

Cite this Entry

“Earliest.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/earliest. Accessed 21 Dec. 2024.

Copy Citation

Share

More from Merriam-Webster on earliest

Nglish: Translation of earliest for Spanish Speakers

Britannica English: Translation of earliest for Arabic Speakers

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!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See All

Point of View: It's Personal

Plural and Possessive Names: A Guide

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

More Commonly Misspelled Words

Words You Always Have to Look Up
See All

Popular in Wordplay

See All

8 Words with Fascinating Histories

8 Words for Lesser-Known Musical Instruments

Birds Say the Darndest Things

10 Words from Taylor Swift Songs (Merriam's Version)

10 Scrabble Words Without Any Vowels
See All

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Word Game Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
naughty or nice
Are you naughty or nice? Quiz He's making a quiz, and checking it twice...