Antecedent

//ˌæntɪˈsiːdənt// adj, noun

Definitions

Adjective
  1. 1
    Earlier, either in time or in order. not-comparable

    "an antecedent cause"

  2. 2
    Presumptive. not-comparable

    "an antecedent improbability"

Adjective
  1. 1
    preceding in time or order wordnet
Noun
  1. 1
    Any thing that precedes another thing, especially the cause of the second thing.
  2. 2
    the referent of an anaphor; a phrase or clause that is referred to by an anaphoric pronoun wordnet
  3. 3
    An ancestor.

    "The Boston agent added that this clerk was a young man of wholly unquestioned veracity and reliability, of known antecedents and long with the company."

  4. 4
    a preceding occurrence or cause or event wordnet
  5. 5
    A word, phrase or clause referred to by a pronoun or other pro-form.

    "[W]hereas it might seem orderly that, as who is appropriated to persons, so that should have been appropriated to things […] the antecedent of that is often personal"

Show 6 more definitions
  1. 6
    someone from whom you are descended (but usually more remote than a grandparent) wordnet
  2. 7
    The conditional part of a hypothetical proposition, i.e. p→q, where p is the antecedent, and q is the consequent.
  3. 8
    anything that precedes something similar in time wordnet
  4. 9
    The first of two subsets of a sequent, consisting of all the sequent's formulae which are valuated as true.
  5. 10
    The first term of a ratio, i.e. the term a in the ratio a:b, the other being the consequent.
  6. 11
    Previous principles, conduct, history, etc. in-plural

Etymology

Etymology 1

From Middle English antecedent, borrowed from Old French antecedent, from Latin antecēdēns (“going before”), from antecēdō (“to precede; excel; surpass”).

Etymology 2

From Middle English antecedent, borrowed from Old French antecedent, from Latin antecēdēns (“going before”), from antecēdō (“to precede; excel; surpass”).

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