earlier

adjectives

(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"

earlier, earliest

adverbs

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"

before, earlier

comparatives of `soon' or `early'

"Come a little sooner, if you can"; "came earlier than I expected"

earlier, sooner

before now

"why didn't you tell me in the first place?"

earlier, in the beginning, in the first place, originally, to begin with