the formal act of acquiring something (especially territory) by conquest or occupation; "the French annexation of Madagascar as a colony in 1896"; "a protectorate has frequently been a first step to annexation"
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"
introduced from another region and persisting without cultivation
brought about or set up or accepted; especially long established; "the established social order"; "distrust the constituted authority"; "a team established as a member of a major league"; "enjoyed his prestige as an established writer"; "an established precedent"; "the established Church"
shown to be valid beyond a reasonable doubt; "the established facts in the case"
securely established; "an established reputation"; "holds a firm position as the country's leading poet"
the remission by the pope of the temporal punishment in purgatory that is still due for sins even after absolution; "in the Middle Ages the unrestricted sale of indulgences by pardoners became a widespread abuse"
the act of indulging or gratifying a desire
a disposition to yield to the wishes of someone; "too much indulgence spoils a child"
an inability to resist the gratification of whims and desires
not of prime or central importance; "nonessential to the integral meanings of poetry"- Pubs.MLA
(sometimes followed by `to') minor or casual or subordinate in significance or nature or occurring as a chance concomitant or consequence; "incidental expenses"; "the road will bring other incidental advantages"; "extra duties incidental to the job"; "labor problems incidental to a rapid expansion"; "confusion incidental to a quick change"
more distant in especially space or time; "they live in the farther house"
to or at a greater distance in time or space (`farther' is used more frequently than `further' in this physical sense); "farther north"; "moved farther away"; "farther down the corridor"; "the practice may go back still farther to the Druids"; "went only three miles further"; "further in the future"
other than what is under consideration or implied; "ask somebody else"; "I don't know what else to do"; "where else can we look?"
(usually used with `or') if not, then; "watch your step or else you may fall"; "leave or else I'll get angry"
additional to or different from this one or place or time or manner; "nobody else is here"; "she ignored everything else"; "I don't know where else to look"; "when else can we have the party?"; "couldn't decide how else it could be done"