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antecedent
antecedent definition
ante·ced·ent (an′tə sēd′'nt)
adjective
going or coming before in time, order, or logic; prior; previous; preceding
Etymology: ME & OFr < L antecedens, prp. of antecedere, antecede
noun
- any happening or thing prior to another
- anything logically preceding
- one's ancestry, past life, training, etc.
- Gram. the word, phrase, or clause to which a pronoun refers “man” is the antecedent of “who” in “the man who spoke”
- Logic the part of a conditional proposition that states the condition
- Math. the first term or numerator of a ratio
Related Forms:
- antecedently an′te·ced′·ently adverb
Webster's New World College Dictionary Copyright © 2005 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
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