earlier

Adjective

• (comparative and superlative of `early') more early than; most early
  • a fashion popular in earlier times
    
  • his earlier work reflects the influence of his teacher
    
  • Verdi's earliest and most raucous opera
    

Adverb

• before now
  • why didn't you tell me in the first place?
    

• comparatives of `soon' or `early'
  • Come a little sooner, if you can
    
  • came earlier than I expected
    

• earlier in time; previously
  • I had known her before
    
  • as I said before
    
  • he called me the day before but your call had come even earlier
    
  • her parents had died four years earlier
    
  • I mentioned that problem earlier
    

Related words

• Synonyms: 
  earliest , in the first place , in the beginning , to begin with , originally , sooner , before