antecedent
[noun]
Synonyms: cause, determinant, occasion, reason, forerunner, ancestor, antecessor, foregoer, precursor, predecessor, prototype, ascendant, forebear, forefather, primogenitor, progenitor
[adjective]
Synonyms: preceding, anterior, foregoing, former, past, precedent, previous, prior

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Antonyms: consequence, consequent, subsequent
Contrasted words: sequel, upshot
Related Words: forebear, forerunner, precursor, agency, instrumentality, means

[TahlilGaran] English Synonym Dictionary ▲

an‧te‧ced‧ent /ˌæntəˈsiːdənt, ˌæntɪˈsiːdənt/ noun [countable]
[Date: 1300-1400; Language: Latin; Origin: present participle of antecedere, from ante- ( ⇒ ante-) + cedere 'to go']

1. formal an event, organization, or thing that is similar to the one you have mentioned but existed earlier:
historical antecedents

2. antecedents [plural] formal the people in your family who lived a long time ago Synonym : ancestors

3. technical a word, phrase, or sentence that is represented by another word, for example a pronoun
—antecedent adjective

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Contemporary English ▲