antecedent
antecedent Lexical Profile
antecedent Game Scores & Validity
• noun
A thing or event that existed before or logically precedes another.
"Early mechanical calculators were important antecedents of the modern computer."
A word, phrase, or clause to which a subsequent pronoun or pro-form refers.
"In the sentence 'Maria lost her keys,' 'Maria' is the antecedent of the pronoun 'her.'"
A person's ancestors, family background, or past history (usually used in the plural).
"Little was known about the mysterious newcomer's antecedents before he settled in the village."
The first clause or proposition in a conditional statement, stating the hypothesis from which the consequent follows.
"In a valid conditional argument, affirming the antecedent necessarily leads to affirming the consequent."
• adjective
Preceding in time, order, or logic; prior.
"The historian carefully analyzed the antecedent events that led to the treaty."
• Rhymes for antecedent
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
Borrowed from Old French antécédent or directly from Latin antecedentem, the present participle of antecedere ('to go before, precede'), formed from ante- ('before') and cedere ('to go, yield').