Earliest: meaning, definitions and examples

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earliest

 

[ ˈɜːrliɪst ]

Adjective / Adverb / Noun
Context #1 | Adjective

time

Happening or belonging to the beginning of a particular time or period.

Synonyms

first, initial, original

Examples of usage

  • the earliest inhabitants of the region
  • the earliest written records date from the third century BC
Context #2 | Adverb

time

At or for the beginning of a particular time or period.

Examples of usage

  • the train that arrives earliest at the station
  • he got up earliest in the morning
Context #3 | Noun

time

The earliest stage in the development of something.

Examples of usage

  • the earliest of his books
  • the earliest appearance of the disease

Translations

Translations of the word "earliest" in other languages:

🇵🇹 mais cedo

🇮🇳 सबसे पहले

🇩🇪 früheste

🇮🇩 paling awal

🇺🇦 найраніший

🇵🇱 najwcześniejszy

🇯🇵 最も早い

🇫🇷 le plus tôt

🇪🇸 más temprano

🇹🇷 en erken

🇰🇷 가장 이른

🇸🇦 الأبكر

🇨🇿 nejdřívější

🇸🇰 najskorší

🇨🇳 最早的

🇸🇮 najzgodnejši

🇮🇸 fyrstur

🇰🇿 ең ерте

🇬🇪 ყველაზე ადრე

🇦🇿 ən erkən

🇲🇽 más temprano

Etymology

The word 'earliest' is derived from the Middle English word 'erliest', which is a combination of 'er' (early) and 'liest' (superlative suffix). The concept of 'earliest' has been used throughout history to denote the beginning or initial stage of something, whether it be time, development, or existence.

See also: earlier, early.

Word Frequency Rank

Ranking #3,183, this word is part of upper-intermediate vocabulary. While not among the most basic terms, it appears often enough to be valuable for advanced communication.