an·te·ced·ent ˌan-tə-ˈsē-dᵊnt
plural antecedents
1
grammar : a substantive word, phrase, or clause whose denotation is referred to by a pronoun that typically follows the substantive (such as John in "Mary saw John and called to him")
broadly : a word or phrase replaced by a substitute
2
a
: 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
3
a
: 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
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Merriam-Webster unabridged
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