of the distant or comparatively distant past; "We met once long ago"; "they long ago forsook their nomadic life"; "left for work long ago"; "he has long since given up mountain climbing"; "This name has long since been forgotten"; "lang syne" is Scottish
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"
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"
very young; "at an early age"
expected in the near future; "look for an early end to the negotiations"
before the usual time or the time expected; "she graduated early"; "the house was completed ahead of time"
in the recent past; "he was in Paris recently"; "lately the rules have been enforced"; "as late as yesterday she was fine"; "feeling better of late"; "the spelling was first affected, but latterly the meaning also"
very recently; "they are newly married"; "newly raised objections"; "a newly arranged hairdo"; "grass new washed by the rain"; "a freshly cleaned floor"; "we are fresh out of tomatoes"
at an earlier time or formerly; "she had previously lived in Chicago"; "he was previously president of a bank"; "better than anything previously proposed"; "a previously unquestioned attitude"; "antecedently arranged"
old; no longer in use or valid or fashionable; "obsolete words"; "an obsolete locomotive"; "outdated equipment"; "superannuated laws"; "out-of-date ideas"
(of e.g. volcanos) permanently inactive; "an extinct volcano"
being out or having grown cold; "threw his extinct cigarette into the stream"; "the fire is out"
no longer in existence; lost or especially having died out leaving no living representatives; "an extinct species of fish"; "an extinct royal family"; "extinct laws and customs"
the momentary present; "Now is a good time to do it"; "it worked up to right now"
used to preface a command or reproof or request; "now hear this!"; "now pay attention"
at the present moment; "goods now on sale"; "the now-aging dictator"; "they are now abroad"; "he is busy at present writing a new novel"; "it could happen any time now"
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events; "President Kennedy now calls in the National Guard"; "Washington now decides to cross the Delaware"; "the ship is now listing to port"
in the immediate past; "told me just now"
(prefatory or transitional) indicates a change of subject or activity; "Now the next problem is..."