Apedia

Early Earliest Period Morning Beginning Adjective ˈɜːli ˈɜːrli

Word3 early
WordType (adjective)
Phonetic /ˈɜːli/ /ˈɜːrli/
Example
  • the early morning
  • my earliest memories
  • the project is still in the early stages.
  • the early 1990s
Sound Online sound. https://www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com/media/english/us_pron/e/ear/early/early__us_1.mp3
Image
Search images by the word
https://www.google.com/search?biw=1280&bih=661&tbm=isch&sa=1&q=early
Content

early

(adjective)/ˈɜːli/ /ˈɜːrli/
  1. 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 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 Examples

    • 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.
  2. arriving, or done before the usual, expected or planned time
    • SEE ALSO early night
      https://www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com/definition/english/early-night
    • 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.
  3. 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.
  4. as soon as possible
    • Please contact us at your earliest convenience.
  5. very early in the morning
    • You're up bright and early today!
  6. a person who gets up, arrives, etc. very early
    • You’re an early bird this morning!
  7. the person who takes the opportunity to do something before other people will have an advantage over them
  8. 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.
  9. 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.
  10. 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.

    Word Origin

    • Old English (as an adverb) ǣrlīce (see ere, -ly), influenced by Old Norse árliga. The adjective use dates from Middle English.
Copyright This card's content is collected from the following dictionaries: Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary

Tags: a1

Learn with these flashcards. Click next, previous, or up to navigate to more flashcards for this subject.

Next card: Doctors removed bullet os médicos removeram bala

Previous card: Dê o melhor de si em tudo

Up to card list: 3000 English common words - Oxford by CEFR