earlier than
She arrived earlier than expected.
She arrived before the expected time.
Happening or occurring before a specified time or event.
The meeting started earlier than usual today.
The meeting began before its usual time today.
He finished his work earlier than his colleagues.
He completed his work before his colleagues did.
This phrase is commonly used to compare the timing of events or actions.
Collocations
Synonyms
Antonyms
Related Phrases
Pro Tip
Common Usage
Use 'earlier than' to compare the timing of events or actions, such as 'She arrived earlier than planned.'
Gold Rule
Temporal Comparison
'Earlier than' is used to indicate that something happened before a specified time or event.
Word Origin
Derived from the comparative form of 'early' combined with the preposition 'than' to indicate a temporal comparison.
Usage Notes
This phrase is used to compare the timing of two events or actions, emphasizing that one occurred before the other.