Main entry: early
Definition: at or near the beginning of a period of time or course of events or before the usual or expected time
Usage: 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
Antonyms: middle
Definition: between an earlier and a later period of time
Antonyms: late
Definition: being or occurring at an advanced period of time or after a usual or expected time
Antonyms: retreat
Definition: the act of withdrawing or going backward (especially to escape something hazardous or unpleasant)
Antonyms: retire, retreat, pull away, pull back, recede, withdraw, draw back, move back
Definition: pull back or move away or backward
Antonyms: back
Definition: cause to travel backward
Antonyms: full-term
Definition: gestated for the entire duration of normal pregnancy
Main entry: early
Definition: being or occurring at an early stage of development
Usage: in an early stage; early forms of life; early man; an early computer
Definition: at or toward an end or late period or stage of development
Definition: people who are old collectively
Antonyms: old
Definition: (used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age
Antonyms: old
Definition: of long duration; not new
Antonyms: worn
Definition: affected by wear; damaged by long use
Antonyms: retarded
Definition: relatively slow in mental or emotional or physical development
Main entry: early
Definition: of an early stage in the development of a language or literature
Usage: 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
Antonyms: middle
Definition: of a stage in the development of a language or literature between earlier and later stages
Antonyms: late
Definition: of a later stage in the development of a language or literature; used especially of dead languages
Main entry: early
Definition: very young
Usage: at an early age
Definition: people who are old collectively
Antonyms: old
Definition: (used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age
Antonyms: mature
Definition: having reached full natural growth or development
Antonyms: mature
Definition: characteristic of maturity
Main entry: early
Definition: expected in the near future
Usage: look for an early end to the negotiations
Antonyms: past, past times, yesteryear
Definition: the time that has elapsed
Antonyms: present
Definition: temporal sense; intermediate between past and future; now existing or happening or in consideration
Antonyms: past
Definition: earlier than the present time; no longer current
Main entry: former, early, other
Definition: belonging to the distant past
Usage: the early inhabitants of Europe; former generations; in other times
Antonyms: hereafter, time to come, future, futurity
Definition: the time yet to come
Antonyms: future
Definition: yet to be or coming
Antonyms: present
Definition: temporal sense; intermediate between past and future; now existing or happening or in consideration
Main entry: too soon, ahead of time, early
Definition: before the usual time or the time expected
Usage: she graduated early; the house was completed ahead of time