antecedent meaning and definition

ANTECEDENT noun

Definition of antecedent (noun)

1. someone from whom you are descended (but usually more remote than a grandparent)
   • synonyms: ancestor, ascendant, ascendent, root
   • antonym: descendant
2. a preceding occurrence or cause or event
3. anything that precedes something similar in time
   • "phrenology was an antecedent of modern neuroscience"
   • synonyms: forerunner
4. the referent of an anaphor; a phrase or clause that is referred to by an anaphoric pronoun

ANTECEDENT adjective

Definition of antecedent (adjective)

1. preceding in time or order
   • antonym: subsequent