The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 8 letter word PREVIOUS
I've seen this crossword clue in The Times
P
R
E
V
I
O
U
S
More clues leading to the result PREVIOUS
- Sanctimonious about minister’s former convictions
- Former priest accommodated by sanctimonious old American
- Former cleric keeping holy? The opposite
- Very good to carry gun that criminal may have
- Earlier form
- Priest welcomed by godly prior
- Prior sanctimonious about reverend
- Prior is religious title acquired by religious …
- Prior is member of clergy in religious environment
- Former vicar in holy surroundings
Buddy explains!
The straight part
We know that "Earlier/form" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case earlier/form = previous.The cryptic/wordplay part
In cryptic crossword there's often an wordplay/cryptic part as well.This part involves a more complex hint, such as an anagram, homophone, hidden word, etc.
Sadly, We don't have an explanation for this specific crossword clue yet.
Crossword Answer definitions
PREVIOUS noun- An existing criminal record (short for "previous convictions")
- A track record of similar behaviour.
- Prior; occurring before something else, either in time or order.
- Premature; acting or occurring too soon.