early

The word “early” means happening or arriving before the expected or usual time. In plain terms, sooner than expected, or near the beginning of something.

“Early” is pronounced UR-lee (/ˈɝli/ in IPA).

Here is “early” used in a sentence: “We caught an early flight to avoid the traffic.”

Words with a similar meaning to “early” include early doors and prematurely.

The opposite of “early” — its antonyms — are late, terminal, mid, middle and tardily.

Depending on how it is used, “early” can be an adjective and an adverb.

The word “early” comes from Old English. From Old English ǣrlīċ, combining ere ("before") with the adjective suffix "-ly".

“Early” is a very common word in modern English, usually learned at around the A1 level.

"Early" measures against an expected time and means before it, as in "an early arrival." "Soon" measures from now and means a short time from the present, as in "I'll leave soon." Something can be soon but not early, like a bus that comes shortly yet still runs late.

The main opposite is "late," meaning after the expected or usual time. "Late" is the counterpart when speaking of arrival or timing, as in "an early train" versus "a late train." When "early" means near the beginning of a period, its opposite is "late" too, as in "early autumn" versus "late autumn."

It depends on the setting, so "early" is neutral in itself. Arriving early for a meeting is usually seen as polite and prepared. But an early frost can ruin crops, and an early departure may mean you miss something. The word simply notes "before the expected time," leaving the value to context.

"We caught an early train" means one before the usual or planned time. "She is an early riser" means she wakes before most people. "It is still early days" means near the beginning of something. Each use points to a time ahead of what is expected or typical.