The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 8 letter word INCHOATE
I've seen this crossword clue in The Daily Telegraph
I
N
C
H
O
A
T
E
More clues leading to the result INCHOATE
- Isle of Grain not entirely undeveloped
- Trendy gossip about Oscar, the last for nouvelle vague
- Fashionable church — nothing had to be other than perfectly finished
- Chocolate after Colin passes out is elementary
- Wearing coat he is perverted and immature
- Only partly formed popular colourless sweet
- Immature island cattle ultimately eating tall grass
- Rudimentary measure of grain not complete
- Make slow progress over a note at an early stage
- Just beginning a nice hot brew
Buddy explains!
The straight part
We know that "at an early stage" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case at an early stage = inchoate.The cryptic/wordplay part
In cryptic crossword there's often an wordplay/cryptic part as well.This part involves a more complex hint, such as an anagram, homophone, hidden word, etc.
Sadly, We don't have an explanation for this specific crossword clue yet.
What does INCHOATE mean?
INCHOATE noun- A beginning, an immature start.
- To begin or start (something).
- To cause or bring about.
- To make a start.
- Recently started but not fully formed yet; just begun; only elementary or immature.
- Chaotic, disordered, confused; also, incoherent, rambling.
- Of a crime, imposing criminal liability for an incompleted act.