What is the meaning of antecedent?

noun

  • Someone from whom you are descended (but usually more remote than a grandparent.
  • A preceding occurrence or cause or event.
  • Anything that precedes something similar in time.
    • usage: "phrenology was an antecedent of modern neuroscience"
  • The referent of an anaphor; a phrase or clause that is referred to by an anaphoric pronoun.

adjective

  • Preceding in time or order. .
WordNet 3.0 © 2006 by Princeton University
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APAWordNet. (2010). antecedent. Retrieved September 20, 2026, from http://smartdefine.org/antecedent/definitions/1168074
ChicagoWordNet. 2010. "antecedent" http://smartdefine.org/antecedent/definitions/1168074 (accessed September 20, 2026).
HarvardWordNet 2010, antecedent, Smart Define, viewed 20 September, 2026, <http://smartdefine.org/antecedent/definitions/1168074>.
MLAWordNet. "antecedent" 23 October 2010. Web. 20 September 2026. <http://smartdefine.org/antecedent/definitions/1168074>
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