📒 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.
📒 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
📒 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.
📒 as soon as possible
- Please contact us at your earliest convenience.
📒 very early in the morning
- You're up bright and early today!
📒 a person who gets up, arrives, etc. very early
- You’re an early bird this morning!
📒 the person who takes the opportunity to do something before other people will have an advantage over them
📒 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 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.
📒 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.