antecedent Hear it!

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

  1. any happening or thing prior to another
  2. anything logically preceding
  3. one's ancestry, past life, training, etc.
  4. Gram. the word, phrase, or clause to which a pronoun refers “man” is the antecedent of “who” in “the man who spoke”
  5. Logic the part of a conditional proposition that states the condition
  6. Math. the first term or numerator of a ratio

Related Forms:

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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on verb of a relative clause agreement with its antecedent74 months ago

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