earlier

• (General American) IPA^(key): /ˈɝliɚ/

  • Audio (US):

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• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˈɜː.lɪə/
• Hyphenation: ear‧li‧er

earlier

1. comparative form of early: more early
2. occurring previously

   I shall be late because I missed the earlier train.

   I'd seen earlier (in the day).

   • 1958 June, Cecil J. Allen, “British Locomotive Practice and Performance”, in Railway Magazine, page 412:

     To me it seems that extensive investment in relatively low-powered units may have the same ultimate result of motive power shortage as that which afflicts the London Midland Region today, and which has compelled the re-engining of some of the earlier multiple-unit diesel train sets.

   • 2019 February 3, “UN Study: China, US, Japan Lead World AI Development”, in Voice of America‎^[1], archived from the original on 7 February 2019:

     Machine learning uses computer algorithms to teach machines to make independent decisions by learning from earlier or existing behavior.

earlier

1. comparative form of early: more early
2. previously; before now; sooner

   From what I vaguely saw earlier this morning, when I had just woken up and was tidying my bed, a tall, bulky person left an unfamiliar box at my front door.

   I shall be late because I didn't start earlier.

   They were looking for some measuring equipment they had placed in the ice earlier.

• learier