Earliest
ˈɜːrlɪɪst
Definitions
Happening or existing before all others; first in a series.
ˈɜːrlɪɪst
Being the first in time or order
The earliest flight leaves at 6 AM.
💡 Simply: Imagine you're at a race, and the person who starts the race first is the earliest one to start!
👶 For kids: The first one to come or happen.
More Examples
She was the earliest to arrive at the party.
We need to know the earliest possible date for the event.
How It's Used
"The earliest records of this civilization date back thousands of years."
"Archaeologists are searching for the earliest human settlements."
From Middle English *erliest*, from Old English *ǣrest* ('first'), superlative of *ǣr* ('early').
Used extensively in historical and scientific texts to denote the commencement of an event or the existence of something.
Memory tip
Think of a timeline; the earliest event is at the very beginning.