Going before in time; prior; anterior; preceding; as, an event antecedent to the Deluge; an antecedent cause. [1913 Webster]
Presumptive; as, an antecedent improbability. [1913 Webster]

Syn. -- Prior; previous; foregoing.

antecedent, n. [Cf. F. antécédent.].

That which goes before in time; that which precedes. South. [1913 Webster]
"The Homeric mythology, as well as the Homeric language, has surely its antecedents." [1913 Webster]
One who precedes or goes in front. [1913 Webster]
"My antecedent, or my gentleman usher." [1913 Webster]
The earlier events of one's life; previous principles, conduct, course, history. J. H. Newman. [1913 Webster]
"If the troops . . . prove worthy of their antecedents, the victory is surely ours." [1913 Webster]
The noun to which a relative refers; as, in the sentence “Solomon was the prince who built the temple,” prince is the antecedent of who. [1913 Webster]
The first or conditional part of a hypothetical proposition; as, If the earth is fixed, the sun must move. [1913 Webster]
The first of the two terms of a ratio; the first or third of the four terms of a proportion. In the ratio a:b, a is the antecedent, and b the consequent. [1913 Webster]

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OXFORD DICTIONARY

antecedent, n. & adj.
--n.
1 a preceding thing or circumstance.
2 Gram. a word, phrase, clause, or sentence, to which another word (esp. a relative pronoun, usu. following) refers.
3 (in pl.) past history, esp. of a person.
4 Logic the statement contained in the 'if' clause of a conditional proposition.
--adj.
1 (often foll. by to) previous.
2 presumptive, a priori.

Derivative

antecedence n. antecedently adv.

Etymology

ME f. F antecedent or L antecedere (as ANTE-, cedere go)

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THESAURUS

antecedent

agency, ancestor, ancestors, announcer, antecede, antecedents, antedate, anterior, anticipatory, ascendant, ascendants, avant-garde, base, basis, bellwether, buccinator, bushwhacker, call, causation, cause, cause and effect, chief, ci-devant, determinant, determinative, earlier, early, elder, elders, element, etiology, exordial, explorer, factor, fathers, first, fore, forebear, forebears, forefather, forefathers, foregoer, foregoing, foremost, forerun, forerunner, former, front runner, frontiersman, fugleman, grandfathers, grandparents, ground, groundbreaker, grounds, guide, harbinger, heading, headmost, herald, inaugural, initiatory, innovator, instrumentality, lead runner, leader, leading, means, messenger, occasion, older, pace, past, pathfinder, patriarchs, pioneer, point, precedent, preceding, precessional, precurrent, precursor, precursory, predate, predecessor, predecessors, preexistent, prefatory, preliminary, preludial, prelusive, premise, preparatory, prevenient, previous, prime, primogenitor, principle, prior, proemial, progenitor, progenitors, propaedeutic, prototype, reason, scout, senior, stimulus, stormy petrel, trailblazer, trailbreaker, vanguard, vaunt-courier, voortrekker

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ROGET THESAURUS

antecedent

Precedence

N precedence, coming before, the lead, le pas, superiority, importance, antecedence, antecedency, anteriority, precursor, priority, precession, anteposition, epacme, preference, preceding, precedent, antecedent, anterior, prior, before, former, foregoing, beforementioned, abovementioned, aforementioned, aforesaid, said, precursory, precursive, prevenient, preliminary, prefatory, introductory, prelusive, prelusory, proemial, preparatory, before, in advance, seniores priores, prior tempore prior jure.

Precursor

N precursor, antecedent, precedent, predecessor, forerunner, vancourier, avant-coureur, pioneer, prodrome, prodromos, prodromus, outrider, leader, bellwether, herald, harbinger, foreboding, dawn, avant-courier, avant-garde, bellmare, forelooper, foreloper, stalking-horse, voorlooper, voortrekker, prelude, preamble, preface, prologue, foreword, avant-propos, protasis, proemium, prolusion, proem, prolepsis, prolegomena, prefix, introduction, heading, frontispiece, groundwork, preparation, overture, exordium, symphony, premises, prefigurement, omen, precursory, prelusive, prelusory, preludious, proemial, introductory, prefatory, prodromous, inaugural, preliminary, precedent, a precedent embalms a principle.

Priority

N priority, antecedence, anteriority, precedence, pre-existence, precession, precursor, the past, premises, prior, previous, preceding, precedent, anterior, antecedent, pre- existing, pre-existent, former, foregoing, aforementioned, before- mentioned, abovementioned, aforesaid, said, introductory, before, prior to, earlier, previously, afore, aforehand, beforehand, ere, theretofore, erewhile, ere then, ere now, before then, before now, erewhile, already, yet, beforehand, on the eve of, prior tempore prior jure.

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