Meaning & Definition of Antecedent in English
English⟶
Antecedent
/æntɛsədənt/
noun
1. Someone from whom you are descended (but usually more remote than a grandparent)
synonym:
- ancestor,
- ascendant,
- ascendent,
- antecedent,
- root
2. A preceding occurrence or cause or event
synonym:
- antecedent
3. Anything that precedes something similar in time
- "Phrenology was an antecedent of modern neuroscience"
synonym:
- antecedent,
- forerunner
4. The referent of an anaphor
- A phrase or clause that is referred to by an anaphoric pronoun
synonym:
- antecedent
adjective
1. Preceding in time or order
synonym:
- antecedent