This is the 97th most frequent Lithuanian word.
anksčiau
"Anksčiau" means "earlier" or "previously" in English.
In this context, 'anksčiau' is used to indicate an action performed ahead of time to prevent inconvenience.
Aš pasiskambinau anksčiau, kad nesutrūksčiau laiku.
I called earlier to avoid being late.
Here 'anksčiau' refers to a point in the past when the described action occurred frequently.
Anksčiau mes dažnai lankydavome tą parką.
Earlier, we used to visit that park often.
In this sentence, 'anksčiau' highlights a past state or condition that has since changed.