antecedent
noun
an·te·ced·ent
| \ ˌan-tə-ˈsē-dᵊnt
\
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Definition of antecedent
(Entry 1 of 2)
1
grammar
: a substantive word, phrase, or clause whose denotation is referred to by a pronoun (such as John in "Mary saw John and called to him")
broadly
: a word or phrase replaced by a substitute
2a
: a preceding event, condition, or cause
events that were antecedents of the war
b
antecedents plural
: the significant events, conditions, and traits of one's earlier life
3a
: predecessor
especially
: a model or stimulus for later developments
The sackbut was the antecedent of the trombone.
4
: the conditional element in a proposition (such as if A in "if A, then B")
5
mathematics
: the first term of a mathematical ratio