early

A1 Topic:Time

Also spelled airly

US /ˈɝli/ UK /ˈɜːli/ See IPA manual

adv adj Freq #683

Meanings

1

adv
Before the usual or expected time.

We arrived early to get good seats.
2

adj
Happening near the beginning of a period of time or an event.

In the early morning the streets are still quiet.
3

adj
Coming or happening before the usual or expected time.

You're early today; I didn't expect you until nine.
4

adj
Belonging to the first stage of something's development.

The disease is much easier to treat at an early stage.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 adv · before the usual or... ahead of time

3 adj · coming or happening before... premature

More prematurely

Opposites

late mid middle tardily terminal

Word family

Forms earlierearliest

Derived forms earlinessearly-boundearly-to-bedderearly-to-midearly-warningearlycomerearlyishearlywoodnonearlypseudoearlytwirlyultraearly

Related forms premature

Common collocations

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *h₂ey- Proto-Indo-European *-eri Proto-Indo-European *h₂éyeri Proto-Germanic *airi Proto-Germanic *airiz Old English ǣr Proto-Indo-European *leyg- Proto-Germanic *līkąder. Proto-Germanic *-līkaz Proto-Germanic *-ê Proto-Germanic *-līkê Old English -līċe Old English ǣrlīċe Middle English erly English early From Middle English erly, orely, arely, erliche, arliche, from Old English ǣrlīċe, ārlīċe (“early; early in the morning”, adverb), equivalent to ere + -ly. Cognate with Old Norse árliga, árla ( > Danish årle, Swedish arla, Norwegian årle, Faroese árla).

erly Middle English ǣrlīċe Old English

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Time

# early

**Type:** Word
**Level:** A1
**Part of speech:** adv, adj
**IPA (US):** ˈɝli
**IPA (UK):** ˈɜːli
**Frequency rank:** 683

## Meanings
1. Before the usual or expected time.
2. Happening near the beginning of a period of time or an event.
3. Coming or happening before the usual or expected time.
4. Belonging to the first stage of something's development.

## Examples
- We arrived early to get good seats.
- In the early morning the streets are still quiet.
- You're early today; I didn't expect you until nine.
- The disease is much easier to treat at an early stage.

## Synonyms
- prematurely

## Antonyms
- late
- mid
- middle
- tardily
- terminal

## Derived Forms
- earliness
- early-bound
- early-to-bedder
- early-to-mid
- early-warning
- earlycomer
- earlyish
- earlywood
- nonearly
- pseudoearly
- twirly
- ultraearly

## Related Forms
- premature

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: erly
- Root: ǣrlīċe

## Etymology
Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *h₂ey- Proto-Indo-European *-eri Proto-Indo-European *h₂éyeri Proto-Germanic *airi Proto-Germanic *airiz Old English ǣr Proto-Indo-European *leyg- Proto-Germanic *līkąder. Proto-Germanic *-līkaz Proto-Germanic *-ê Proto-Germanic *-līkê Old English -līċe Old English ǣrlīċe Middle English erly English early From Middle English erly, orely, arely, erliche, arliche, from Old English ǣrlīċe, ārlīċe (“early; early in the morning”, adverb), equivalent to ere + -ly. Cognate with Old Norse árliga, árla ( > Danish årle, Swedish arla, Norwegian årle, Faroese árla).

## AI Etymology
Early comes from Middle English erly, orely, arely, erliche, arliche, from Old English ǣrlīċe, ārlīċe (“early; early in the morning”, adverb), equivalent to ere + -ly. Cognate with Old Norse árliga, árla (> Danish årle, Swedish arla, Norwegian årle, Faroese árla). In current use, the main senses are “Before the usual or expected time” and “Happening near the beginning of a period of time or an event”.

## Topics
- Time

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