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
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
Thomas Drance, The Athletic, 8 Mar. 2025
Such anomalies, subtle and difficult for humans to detect, can be flagged by AI early, allowing for timely intervention.
—Ed Garibian, Forbes, 7 Mar. 2025
Ben Bolch, Los Angeles Times, 9 Mar. 2025
But whenever that phrasing is used, it is done so to signify that there could be a matter of much more consequence than a regular-season basketball game in early March.
—Jon Krawczynski, The Athletic, 8 Mar. 2025
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.
Send us feedback.
Adverb
An offseason injury to Thatcher Demko extended into December, keeping Vancouver’s star netminder out of the lineup for longer than the club had hoped earlier in the summer.
—Thomas Drance, The Athletic, 8 Mar. 2025
Such anomalies, subtle and difficult for humans to detect, can be flagged by AI early, allowing for timely intervention.
—Ed Garibian, Forbes, 7 Mar. 2025
Adjective
A day after rolling up 10 points in the first quarter against Nebraska, UCLA’s Gabriela Jaquez Jr. made all three shots in the first quarter while scoring seven points in the early going against the Buckeyes.
—Ben Bolch, Los Angeles Times, 9 Mar. 2025
But whenever that phrasing is used, it is done so to signify that there could be a matter of much more consequence than a regular-season basketball game in early March.
—Jon Krawczynski, The Athletic, 8 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for early
Cite this Entry
“Early.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/early. Accessed 12 Mar. 2025.
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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