An earlier version refers to a previous edition, iteration or incarnation of something that has since been updated, improved or replaced. It could be an older model of a product, software release, document or any other form of expression that has evolved over time. The phrase is often used in the context of technology where new versions are regularly released to fix bugs, add features and improve performance. When someone refers to an earlier version they mean the previous edition of something which may have been superseded by a newer one but still holds relevance or value for certain purposes.