"earlier commitments" is a correct and usable phrase in written English.
It refers to prior obligations or promises that have been made before a certain point in time. Example: Due to my earlier commitments, I will not be able to attend the meeting tomorrow.
The race for earlier and earlier commitments — the same rush that is well known in college men's basketball and football — has spread to men's lacrosse.
No agreement was reached in Japan, despite frantic negotiations and earlier commitments from Mr Abe.
If anything, German leaders are undermining earlier commitments to help weaker countries like Spain bear the costs of bank cleanups.
Mr Vollebaek agrees that the bill does not in itself contravene international law or Slovakia's earlier commitments to protect minority languages.
Coach Mike Jarvis received earlier commitments from point guard Tristan Smith of Amityville High School on Long Island and forward Eric King of Milford Academy in Connecticut.
Sun in particular will probably be criticized by its competitors I.B.M. and Hewlett Packard, which made earlier commitments to the Linux operating system.
But Mr. Obama's campaign refused to reaffirm its earlier commitment.
Mr. Trimble said he quit because the I.R.A. reneged on what he called an earlier commitment to disarm by June this year.
But Ms. Sotomayor is expected to arrive on the small campus on Friday, accompanied by her mother and brother, to make good on her earlier commitment.
Spain, where he made a large earlier commitment to solar, has cut its subsidies, sharply reducing returns and leading to lawsuits from operators, including HgCapital.
Those purchases joined the bank's earlier commitment to buy about $45 billion in Treasury securities each month through the end of December, which has now been extended indefinitely.
