An archaic form meaning 'already' or 'by this time'; an earlier spelling of the modern word 'already.'
From Old English 'aredige' or Middle English 'aredy,' composed of 'a-' (prefix meaning 'completely') + 'ready.' Over centuries, this was gradually compressed and respelled until it became the modern word 'already' we know today.
The word 'aready' shows English's great compression project—over 500 years, people kept dropping sounds and merging syllables until 'a-ready' became 'already,' the way languages naturally evolve.
Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.