ANTECEDENT
Dictionary entry overview: What does antecedent mean?
• ANTECEDENT (noun)
The noun ANTECEDENT has 4 senses:
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
4. the referent of an anaphor; a phrase or clause that is referred to by an anaphoric pronoun
Familiarity information: ANTECEDENT used as a noun is uncommon.
• ANTECEDENT (adjective)
The adjective ANTECEDENT has 1 sense:
1. preceding in time or order
Familiarity information: ANTECEDENT used as an adjective is very rare.
Dictionary entry details
• ANTECEDENT (noun)
Meaning:
Someone from whom you are descended (but usually more remote than a grandparent)
Classified under:
Nouns denoting people
Synonyms:
ancestor; antecedent; ascendent; ascendant; root
Hypernyms ("antecedent" is a kind of...):
relation; relative (a person related by blood or marriage)
Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "antecedent"):
ancestress (a woman ancestor)
forbear; forebear (a person from whom you are descended)
father; forefather; sire (the founder of a family)
foremother (a woman ancestor)
primogenitor; progenitor (an ancestor in the direct line)
Meaning:
A preceding occurrence or cause or event
Classified under:
Nouns denoting natural events
Hypernyms ("antecedent" is a kind of...):
cause (events that provide the generative force that is the origin of something)
Meaning:
Anything that precedes something similar in time
Classified under:
Nouns denoting relations between people or things or ideas
Synonyms:
forerunner; antecedent
Context example:
phrenology was an antecedent of modern neuroscience
Hypernyms ("antecedent" is a kind of...):
temporal relation (a relation involving time)
Meaning:
The referent of an anaphor; a phrase or clause that is referred to by an anaphoric pronoun
Classified under:
Nouns denoting communicative processes and contents
Hypernyms ("antecedent" is a kind of...):
referent (something referred to; the object of a reference)
• ANTECEDENT (adjective)
Meaning:
Preceding in time or order
Synonyms:
antecedent; preceding
Similar:
anterior; prior (earlier in time)
anticipatory; prevenient (in anticipation)
pre-existent; pre-existing; preexistent; preexisting (existing previously or before something)
Also:
preceding (existing or coming before)
Antonym:
subsequent (following in time or order)
