- (a.) Presumptive; as, an antecedent improbability.
- (n.) The earlier events of one's life; previous principles, conduct, course, history.
- (n.) One who precedes or goes in front.
- (n.) That which goes before in time; that which precedes.
- (n.) The first or conditional part of a hypothetical proposition; as, If the earth is fixed, the sun must move.
- (n.) 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.
- (n.) The first of the two propositions which constitute an enthymeme or contracted syllogism; as, Every man is mortal; therefore the king must die.
- (a.) Going before in time; prior; anterior; preceding; as, an event antecedent to the Deluge; an antecedent cause.
- (n.) 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.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary
| APA | Webster's. (2011). antecedent. Retrieved September 25, 2026, from http://smartdefine.org/antecedent/definitions/1974247 |
| Chicago | Webster's. 2011. "antecedent" http://smartdefine.org/antecedent/definitions/1974247 (accessed September 25, 2026). |
| Harvard | Webster's 2011, antecedent, Smart Define, viewed 25 September, 2026, <http://smartdefine.org/antecedent/definitions/1974247>. |
| MLA | Webster's. "antecedent" 27 May 2011. Web. 25 September 2026. <http://smartdefine.org/antecedent/definitions/1974247> |