- 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
Want to learn more?
Find out which words work together and produce more natural sounding English with the Oxford Collocations Dictionary app.
- 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.
Word OriginOld English (as an adverb) ǣrlīce (see ere, -ly), influenced by Old Norse árliga. The adjective use dates from Middle English.
Idioms
See early in the Oxford Advanced American DictionarySee early in the Oxford Learner's Dictionary of Academic Englishat 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.
Check pronunciation:
early