early
adjective OPAL WOPAL S
/ˈɜːli/
/ˈɜːrli/
(comparative earlier, superlative earliest)
Idioms - near the beginning of a period of time, an event etc.
- the early morning
- my earliest memories
- The project is still in the early stages.
- the early 1990s
- in the early years of the twentieth century
- in the early days of space exploration (= when it was just beginning)
- it is too early to do something It is too early to tell how badly the economy will be affected.
- He's in his early twenties.
- Mozart’s early works (= those written at the beginning of his career)
- Early booking is essential, as space is limited.
- The ruling overturned the court’s earlier decision.
- The earliest possible date I can make it is the third.
- The earliest description of this species dates from 1703.
Extra ExamplesTopics Timea1- The earliest mention of the village is in a sixteenth-century manuscript.
- These discoveries were made at a surprisingly early date.
- From early childhood he suffered from very poor health.
- during the early part of December
- An earlier version of this article appeared online.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryverbs- be
- feel
- seem
- …
- extremely
- fairly
- very
- …
- for
- in
- arriving, or done before the usual, expected or planned time
- You're early! I wasn't expecting you till seven.
- The bus was ten minutes early.
- an early breakfast
- He learnt to play the piano at an early age.
- Let's make an early start tomorrow.
- She's an early riser (= she gets up early in the morning).
- early potatoes (= that are available before other types of potato)
Extra Examples- I'm sorry I'm a bit early.
- It's a little early for lunch.
- Victoria has decided to take early retirement.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryverbs- be
- feel
- seem
- …
- extremely
- fairly
- very
- …
- for
- in
- belonging to the beginning of a period of history or a cultural movement
- The gallery has an unrivalled collection of early twentieth-century art.
- the early modern period from the fifteenth to the eighteenth century
- The main construction of the fort belongs to the early medieval period.
- The painting is a fine example of early Impressionism.
opposite late
Word OriginOld English (as an adverb) ǣrlīce (see ere, -ly), influenced by Old Norse árliga. The adjective use dates from Middle English.
Idioms
at your earliest convenience
- (business) as soon as possible
- Please contact us at your earliest convenience.
bright and early
- very early in the morning
- You're up bright and early today!
an early bird
- (humorous) a person who gets up, arrives, etc. very early
- You’re an early bird this morning!
the early bird catches the worm
- (saying) the person who takes the opportunity to do something before other people will have an advantage over them
early doors
- (British English, informal) at an early stage, especially in a game or competition
- Suddenly we lost three home matches early doors.
- The team had the game in the bag early doors after tries from Ellis and Wilkins.
the early/small hours
(also especially Scottish English the wee small hours, especially North American English the wee hours)
- the period of time very early in the morning, soon after midnight
- The fighting began in the early hours of Saturday morning.
- The party continued well into the early hours.
it’s early days (yet) | it's still early days
- (British English) used to say that it is too soon to be sure how a situation will develop
- It’s early days yet. We don’t know if the play will be a success.