earlier this evening

USAGE SUMMARY

"earlier this evening" is correct and usable in written English.
You can use it to refer to something that happened at a time during the general time frame of the evening, usually before the current time. For example, "She arrived earlier this evening to get ready for the party."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

33 human-written examples

I spoke to Scott Gatz at Yahoo about this earlier this evening and he says they'll find a fix for it.

TechCrunch

As noted earlier this evening, Wulff's Cougars finished this season 4-8, giving Wulff a four-year mark of 9-40.

The New York Times

* * * Dinner with Trump earlier this evening.

The New Yorker

"Our Hedge End store was evacuated earlier this evening.

The Guardian

8.59pm: Here is a graphic of the frightening plunge on the Dow Jones earlier this evening.

The Guardian - Business

11.42pm BST Here's a five-star review of Primal Scream's set earlier this evening.

The Guardian - Music

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

27 human-written examples

Water samples were also collected three times a day (early morning, midday and evening) for δ13CDIC determination.

Journal of Hydrology

I had violent sickness in the early morning, morning, early afternoon, mid-afternoon, afternoon, late afternoon, early evening... you get the gist.

Huffington Post

Early next morning, no sign of Trayvon, still.

The New York Times

Both men remained in custody early last night.

The New York Times

Activity during 4-h intervals (early morning, morning, midday, evening, night, midnight).

Security Informatics

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "earlier this evening" to clearly indicate an event that occurred during the current evening, before the time of speaking or writing. This provides a specific timeframe reference for your audience.

Common error

Do not use "earlier this evening" when referring to events that occurred on previous days. Be precise with your timeframe to prevent confusion. For past days, specify the date or use phrases like "yesterday evening".

Linguistic Context

The phrase "earlier this evening" functions as an adverbial phrase of time, specifying when an action or event took place. As confirmed by Ludwig, the expression is considered correct and usable in written English. It provides a specific temporal reference within the current day's evening.

Expression frequency: Common

Frequent in

News & Media

64%

Science

10%

Formal & Business

6%

Less common in

Academia

4%

Wiki

3%

Reference

3%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "earlier this evening" is a grammatically sound and commonly used phrase to denote a time period within the current evening, before the present moment. Ludwig confirms its correct usage and demonstrates its applicability across various contexts. Predominantly found in news and media sources, it serves to provide a clear and specific timeframe. When using this phrase, ensure clarity by avoiding ambiguity and specifying the timeframe accurately.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

this evening before

Reorders the words while keeping the same meaning, emphasizing the 'before' aspect.

before now this evening

Emphasizes the action occurring before the present moment within the current evening.

previously this evening

Adds emphasis on the action having occurred at a past point during the current evening.

earlier in the night

Substitutes "evening" with "night", slightly shifting the time frame to later hours.

in the early part of this evening

Specifies that the event occurred during the initial hours of the evening.

prior to tonight

Uses more formal vocabulary to indicate a time before the present evening.

earlier than the present time this evening

A more formal and lengthy way of expressing the original phrase.

earlier in the day

Broadens the time frame to encompass any time before the current moment of the day.

a while ago tonight

Uses more informal language to indicate an indefinite amount of time passed this evening.

some time tonight

Indicates that something happened at an unspecified point during the current evening.

FAQs

How can I use "earlier this evening" in a sentence?

You can use "earlier this evening" to describe an event that happened during the evening of the current day, such as, "I had dinner with my family "earlier this evening"."

What is a more formal way to say "earlier this evening"?

A more formal way to say "earlier this evening" is "prior to tonight" or "previously this evening", depending on the context.

Is there a difference between "earlier this evening" and "earlier tonight"?

"Earlier this evening" and "earlier tonight" are often interchangeable, but "earlier this evening" may imply a slightly earlier timeframe in the evening, while "earlier tonight" can refer to any time before the current moment of the night.

What can I say instead of "earlier this evening" if I want to be less specific?

If you want to be less specific, you can use alternatives such as "some time tonight" or "earlier in the day", depending on the context.