1. Preceding
2. Prior
3. Former
4. Previous
5. Antecedent
6. Beforehand
7. Foregoing
8. Antedated
9. Anterior
10. Precedential
11. Preceding
12. Prehistorical
13. Pre-existing
14. Pre-eminent
15. Pre-dating
16. Pre-war
17. Pre-modern
18. Pre-revolutionary
19. Pre-enlightenment
20. Pre-industrial
21. Pre-Christian
22. Pre-Columbian
23. Pre-Renaissance
24. Pre-Socratic
25. Pre-Hellenic
26. Pre-Islamic
27. Pre-Biblical
28. Pre-Byzantine
29. Pre-Aristotelian
30. Pre-Homeric
When you are looking for other words for “earlier”, there are plenty of ideas to help you find the best synonym. Whether you are searching for a formal or informal word, there are many options to choose from. For a more formal word, you could consider “preceding”, “prior”, “former”, or “previous”. If you are looking for a less formal word, you could use “beforehand”, “foregoing”, or “antedated”. There are also more specific words such as “pre-existing”, “pre-eminent”, “pre-dating”, and “pre-war”. Additionally, there are words that refer to specific periods of time such as “prehistorical”, “pre-modern”, “pre-revolutionary”, and “pre-enlightenment”. Finally, there are words that refer to specific religions and cultures such as “pre-Christian”, “pre-Columbian”, “pre-Renaissance”, “pre-Socratic”, “pre-Hellenic”, “pre-Islamic”, “pre-Biblical”, “pre-Byzantine”, “pre-Aristotelian”, and “pre-Homeric”. With so many synonyms for “earlier”, you can find the perfect word to fit your needs.