Ăn'te-çēd'ent1, a.
a. [Fr. antécédent, Lat. antecedens, p. pr. of antecedere.] Going before in time; prior; anterior; preceding; as, an event antecedent to the deluge. Syn.—Prior; anterior; preceding; previous; foregoing.
2 entries under this word
Antecedent
Ăn'te-çēd'ent2, n.
n. 1. That which goes before in time; that which precedes. South.
Sense 2. pl. The earlier events of one’s life; previous principles, conduct, course, history. Thackeray.
If the troops . . . prove worthy of their antecedents, the victory is surely ours. Gen. G. B. McClellan.
Sense 3. (Gram.) The noun to which a relative refers; as, Solomon was the prince who built the temple.
Sense 4. (Logic.) (a.) The first of two propositions in an enthymeme, or argument of two propositions; as, Every man is mortal; therefore every king is mortal. Here, the first proposition (every man is mortal) is the antecedent; the second, the consequent. (b.) The first and conditional part of a conditional or hypothetical proposition; as, If the sun is fixed the earth must move. Here also the second part is called the consequent. Watts.
Sense 5. (Math.) The first of two terms of a ratio, or that which is compared with the other. Hutton.