antecedent

/ˌæntˈɛsədənt/ · 4 syllables

Meaning

noun

1. someone from whom you are descended (but usually more remote than a grandparent)
2. a preceding occurrence or cause or event
3. anything that precedes something similar in time
   “phrenology was an antecedent of modern neuroscience”
4. the referent of an anaphor; a phrase or clause that is referred to by an anaphoric pronoun

adjective

1. preceding in time or order

Synonyms for antecedent

• ancestor
• ascendant
• ascendent
• root
• forerunner
• anterior
• anticipatory
• preexistent

Antonyms of antecedent

• subsequent