Early Definition & Meaning
early
- adverb
- during an early stage; "early on in her career"
- before the usual time or the time expected; "she graduated early"; "the house was completed ahead of time"
- in good time; "he awoke betimes that morning"
- adjective
- at or near the beginning of a period of time or course of events or before the usual or expected time; "early morning"; "an early warning"; "early diagnosis"; "an early death"; "took early retirement"; "an early spring"; "early varieties of peas and tomatoes mature before most standard varieties"
- being or occurring at an early stage of development; "in an early stage"; "early forms of life"; "early man"; "an early computer"
- belonging to the distant past; "the early inhabitants of Europe"; "former generations"; "in other times"
- very young; "at an early age"
- of an early stage in the development of a language or literature; "the Early Hebrew alphabetical script is that used mainly from the 11th to the 6th centuries B.C."; "Early Modern English is represented in documents printed from 1476 to 1700"
- expected in the near future; "look for an early end to the negotiations"
"Early" in song lyrics
See how early is used in real songs:
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"See it was early"
Above the Law — Another Execution -
"She's a whirly girly, she don't get up early"
Aceyalone — Dirty Birdie -
"That had to leave this lifetime early"
Aceyalone & RJD2 — Fire
Words that rhyme with early
Usage tips for "early"
Understanding the precise definition of a word helps you use it with confidence. When using "early" in your writing, consider whether you need the word itself or one of its synonyms — subtle differences in meaning can change the tone of a sentence. If you're writing poetry or song lyrics, check the rhymes for early to find words that pair well.