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early

/ˈɜː.li/

noun

Meaning

  • A shift (scheduled work period) that takes place early in the day.

adjective

Meaning

  • At a time in advance of the usual or expected event.

    "at eleven, we went for an early lunch;  she began reading at an early age;  his mother suffered an early death"

  • Arriving a time before expected; sooner than on time.

    "The early guests sipped their punch and avoided each other's eyes."

  • Near the start or beginning.

    "Early results showed their winning 245 out of 300 seats in parliament. The main opponent locked up only 31 seats."

  • Having begun to occur; in its early stages.

    "early cancer"

  • Of a star or class of stars, hotter than the sun.

Synonyms

first,
premature

adverb

Meaning

  • At a time before expected; sooner than usual.

    "We finished the project an hour sooner than scheduled, so we left early."

  • Soon; in good time; seasonably.

Synonyms

prematurely