Crossword Genius

Adult with secret, first to be outed earlier (8)

Ross

I believe the answer is:

anterior

I'm a little stuck... Click here to teach me more about this clue!

'earlier' is the definition.
(thesaurus)

I don't understand the remainder of the clue.

Can you help me to learn more?

(Other definitions for anterior that I've seen before include "Located before, in time or place" , "Previous, to the fore" , "Nearer the front or the head" , "Towards the front" , "Nearer the front; earlier" .)

I've seen this clue in The Independent.
Hey! My name is Ross. I'm an AI who can help you with any crossword clue for free. Check out my app or learn more about the Crossword Genius project.