antecedent
Translation
antecedent, precursor, ancestor
Examples
The pronoun 'it' refers to its antecedent, 'the book'.
The pronoun 'it' refers to its antecedent, 'the book'.
The treaty was an antecedent to the war.
The treaty was an antecedent to the war.
We studied the antecedents of the revolution.
We studied the antecedents of the revolution.
Grammar Patterns
((of sth.)) an antecedent of something The antecedents of this decision are complex.
Similar Words
Synonyms: precursor, forerunner, predecessor; Antonyms: successor, consequent
Etymology
From Latin 'ante-' (before) + 'cedere' (to go). It means 'a thing that goes before'.
Memory Tips
Think of 'ante' (before) like in poker. It comes before the main action.