early
/ˈɝli/
Word Rarity
Common
Frequency: 5.43 in modern English
8
Scrabble Score
5
Letters
2
Syllables
5
Unique Chars
Meaning
adj
At a time in advance of the usual or expected event.
adj
After but close to the start of a period of time.
Example Sentences
- "at eleven, we went for an early lunch; she began reading at an early age; his mother suffered an early death"
- "Floods in northern India, mostly in the small state of Uttarakhand, have wrought disaster on an enormous scale. The early, intense onset of the monsoon on June 14th swelled rivers, washing away roads, bridges, hotels and even whole villages. Rock-filled torrents smashed vehicles and homes, burying victims under rubble and sludge."
- "You're early today! I don't usually see you before nine o'clock."
- "The early guests sipped their punch and avoided each other's eyes."
- "The play "Two Gentlemen of Verona" is one of Shakespeare's early works."
- "Early results showed their winning 245 out of 300 seats in parliament. The main opponent locked up only 31 seats."
Etymology
From Middle English erly, erlich, earlich, from Old English ǣrlīċ (“early”, adjective), equivalent to ere + -ly.
Origin
Word Breakdown
Regional Pronunciation
- American English: /ˈɝli/
- British English: /ˈɜːli/