antecedent
Translation
precursor, forerunner, ancestor
Examples
In the sentence, 'the dog' is the antecedent of 'it'.
In the sentence, 'the dog' is the antecedent of 'it'.
The events were an antecedent to the war.
The events were an antecedent to the war.
He was proud of his noble antecedents.
He was proud of his noble antecedents.
Grammar Patterns
an antecedent ((to/of sth.)) The treaty was an antecedent to the war.
Similar Words
Synonyms: precursor, forerunner, predecessor; Antonyms: successor, consequent
Etymology
From Latin 'ante-' (before) + 'cedere' (to go). It means 'going before'.
Memory Tips
'Ante-' means 'before', like in 'ante meridiem' (a.m.). It's something that comes before.