earlier (root: early)

• POS: Adverb
• HYPHEN: ear=li=er
• COUNT in NET: 24 in 24 verses (in OT : 19 in 19 verses) (in NT : 5 in 5 verses)

CIDE DICTIONARY

earlier, adj. 

 occurring at a prior time; as, on earlier occasions.  [WordNet 1.5]

THESAURUS

earlier

aforetime, already, antecedent, anterior, anticipatory, as yet, before, before all, before now, beforehand, beforetime, ci-devant, down, early, elder, ere, ere then, erenow, erewhile, erst, erstwhile, first, fore, foregoing, former, formerly, heretofore, historically, hitherto, in the past, in times past, inferior, lower, lowest, nether, older, once, only yesterday, or ever, preceding, precurrent, preexistent, prehistorically, previous, previously, prime, prior, priorly, recently, senior, so far, sooner, subjacent, then, theretofore, thus far, under, whilom, yesterday, yet

ROGET THESAURUS

earlier

Priority

N priority, antecedence, anteriority, precedence, pre-existence, precession, precursor, the past, premises, prior, previous, preceding, precedent, anterior, antecedent, pre- existing, pre-existent, former, foregoing, aforementioned, before- mentioned, abovementioned, aforesaid, said, introductory, before, prior to, earlier, previously, afore, aforehand, beforehand, ere, theretofore, erewhile, ere then, ere now, before then, before now, erewhile, already, yet, beforehand, on the eve of, prior tempore prior jure.