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Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English
earliest
noun
COLLOCATIONS FROM OTHER ENTRIES
at the first/earliest opportunity (=as soon as possible)
▪ He decided to leave school at the earliest opportunity.
sb's earliest memory
▪ My earliest memory is of being bitten by a dog.
PHRASES FROM OTHER ENTRIES
at your earliest convenience
▪ We should be grateful if you would reply at your earliest convenience.
▪ Could you therefore please telephone me at your earliest convenience?
▪ I also enclose a Medical Assessment Card which you should complete and return at your earliest convenience.
The Collaborative International Dictionary
earliest

earliest \earliest\ adj. preceding all others in time.

Syn: premier, premiere.

Wiktionary
earliest

a. (en-superlativeearly) adv. (en-superlativeearly)

WordNet
early
  1. adj. 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" [ant: middle, late]

  2. being or occurring at an early stage of development; "in an early stage"; "early forms of life"; "early man"; "an early computer" [ant: late]

  3. of the distant past; "the early inhabitants of Europe"; "former generations"; "in other times" [syn: early(a), former(a), other(a)]

  4. very young; "at an early age"

  5. 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" [ant: middle, late]

  6. expected in the near future; "look for an early end to the negotiations"

  7. [also: earliest, earlier]

earliest
  1. adj. (comparative and superlative of `early') more early than; most early; "a fashion popular in earlier times"; "his earlier work reflects the influence of his teacher"; "Verdi's earliest and most raucous opera" [syn: earlier]

  2. adv. with the least delay; "the soonest I can arrive is 3 P.M." [syn: soonest]

early
  1. adv. during an early stage; "early on in her career" [syn: early on]

  2. before the usual time or the time expected; "she graduated early"; "the house was completed ahead of time" [syn: ahead of time, too soon] [ant: late]

  3. in good time; "he awoke betimes that morning" [syn: betimes]

  4. [also: earliest, earlier]

earliest

See early

Usage examples of "earliest".

Trained from his earliest youth in the exercise of arms, he set too small a value on the life of a citizen, chastised by military execution the slightest offences, and transferred the stern discipline of the camp into the civil administration of the laws.

The front and flanks of the army were covered by Lucilianus with a flying detachment of fifteen hundred light-armed soldiers, whose active vigilance observed the most distant signs, and conveyed the earliest notice, of any hostile approach.

The advantage of receiving the earliest intelligence, and of conveying their orders with celerity, induced the emperors to establish, throughout their extensive dominions, the regular institution of posts.

With regard to the soldiers, the jealousy of freedom had, even from the earliest ages of Rome, given way to the hopes of conquest, and a just sense of military discipline.

But Commodus, from his earliest infancy, discovered an aversion to whatever was rational or liberal, and a fond attachment to the amusements of the populace.

It was derived from their ancestors, had grown up with their earliest habits of life, and was protected, in some measure, by the opinion of political utility.

From the earliest period of history, the sovereigns of Asia had been celebrated in the Greek language by the title of Basileus, or King.

The intrepid mind of Constantine had been trained from his earliest youth to war, to action, and to military command.

It is generally agreed that Tertullian became a Montanist about the year 200: his work, de Corona Militis, appears to have been written, at the earliest about the year 202 before the persecution of Severus: it may be maintained, then, that it is subsequent to the Montanism of the author.

At the earliest dawn of day, the Praetorian praefect, ^150 accompanied by several generals, tribunes, and officers of the revenue, repaired to the principal church of Nicomedia, which was situated on an eminence in the most populous and beautiful part of the city.

In the earliest youth he was recommended by Cicero to the friendship of Brutus.

As he had discovered, from his earliest youth, a propensity, or rather passion, for the language, the manners, the learning, and the religion of the Greeks, he obeyed with pleasure an order so agreeable to his wishes.

In his march from Autun, through the heart of the Gallic provinces, Julian embraced with ardor the earliest opportunity of signalizing his courage.

The education which he bestowed on his sons and nephews secured to the empire a race of princes, whose faith was still more lively and sincere, as they imbibed, in their earliest infancy, the spirit, or at least the doctrine, of Christianity.

The episcopal leaders of the contending sects, convinced, from experience, how much their fate would depend on the earliest impressions that were made on the mind of an untutored soldier, hastened to the court of Edessa, or Antioch.