adverb

earlier

earlier

I woke up earlier today.

I woke up earlier today.

Earlier, you said something different.

Earlier, you said something different.

((adverb)) at a time before the present or before another time. I woke up earlier today.

Synonyms: sooner, before; Antonyms: later

From Old English 'ǣr' (soon, before) plus the comparative suffix '-lier'.

It's simply 'early' with the comparative '-er' ending, just like 'fast' becomes 'faster'.

This page is designed for learning support. Please use it as a learning reference, not as a formal reference.