earlier

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”

comparatives of `soon'' or `early''

• “Come a little sooner, if you can”
• “came earlier than I expected”

before now

• “why didn”

(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”