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Added 9 October 2026

antecedent

/ˌæntɪˈsiːdənt/ adjective

In Latin: antecēdēns Wiktionary

adjective Definition from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about antecedent at Wordnik → Where our words come from →

Earlier, either in time or in order.
an antecedent cause
Presumptive.
an antecedent improbability

noun

Any thing that precedes another thing, especially the cause of the second thing.
An ancestor.
A word, phrase or clause referred to by a pronoun or other pro-form.

Origin

From Middle English antecedent, borrowed from Old French antecedent, from Latin antecēdēns (“going before”), from antecēdō (“to precede; excel; surpass”).

From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)

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