Webster's English Dictionary

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antecedent

Cross references:
  1. cause                  2. preceding             
 
1. an.te.ced.ent \.ant-*-'se-d-*nt\ n [ME, fr. ML & L; ML antecedent-, 
   antecedens, fr. L, logical a]ntecedent, lit., one that goes before, fr. 
   neut. of antecedent-, antecedens, prp. of antecedere 1: a substantive word, 
   phrase, or clause referred to by a pronoun (as Jo hn in " I saw John and 
   spoke to him "); broadly : a word or group of words replaced and referred 
   to by a substitute 2: the conditional element in a proposition (as if A in 
   " if A, then  B ") 3: the first term of a mathematical ratio  4a: a 
   preceding event, condition, or cause  pl  4b: the significant events, 
   conditions, and traits of one's earlier life  5a: a predecessor in a 
   series; esp : a model or stimulus for later  developments pl  5b: 
   ANCESTORS, PARENTS 
2. antecedent aj 1: prior in time or order  2: causally or logically prior  
   - an.te.ced.ent.ly av