as in previous
going before another in time or order
I'd like to follow up on an antecedent question from another reporter
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in cause
someone or something responsible for a result
what are the antecedents of the American Revolutionary War?
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in forerunner
something belonging to an earlier time from which something else was later developed
the typewriter is the antecedent of the computer keyboard
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of antecedent
Hakan Karaosman, Sourcing Journal, 17 Oct. 2024
Relaxed high-altitude winds, the spreading of air aloft and the presence of an antecedent tropical wave all made for the formation of a hurricane — but record-warm water temperatures, reminiscent of September, helped transform the storm into a top-tier tempest.
—Amanda Coletta, Washington Post, 2 July 2024
Maya Singer, Vogue, 8 Jan. 2025
With Love, Meghan could use some Martha Stewart style
Part of the problem is that as a celebrity, Meghan has two clear antecedents: Princess Diana and Martha Stewart.
—Constance Grady, Vox, 7 Dec. 2018
See All Example Sentences for antecedent
Adjective
Responsible purchasing is antecedent to fair and equitable decarbonization in the supply chain.
—Hakan Karaosman, Sourcing Journal, 17 Oct. 2024
Relaxed high-altitude winds, the spreading of air aloft and the presence of an antecedent tropical wave all made for the formation of a hurricane — but record-warm water temperatures, reminiscent of September, helped transform the storm into a top-tier tempest.
—Amanda Coletta, Washington Post, 2 July 2024
Noun
At an apparel level, the two do habitually converse—Coco Chanel launched her business making tennis dresses, and today’s athleisure has antecedents in Claire McCardell’s bodysuits and Y2K-era Prada Sport.
—Maya Singer, Vogue, 8 Jan. 2025
With Love, Meghan could use some Martha Stewart style
Part of the problem is that as a celebrity, Meghan has two clear antecedents: Princess Diana and Martha Stewart.
—Constance Grady, Vox, 7 Dec. 2018
See All Example Sentences for antecedent
Recent Examples of Synonyms for antecedent
Adjective
-
Don’t Chelsea and the Premier League have previous on associated party transactions?—
Matt Slater,
New York Times,
19 Apr. 2025
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Eric served District 2 from 2014 to 2018, and is perhaps most well-known for his attempts to ban Idaho courts from deciding cases based on Sharia law, despite no evidence of that happening, according to previous Statesman reporting.—
Carolyn Komatsoulis,
Idaho Statesman,
18 Apr. 2025
Noun
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There is currently no information on the containment of the fire and its cause has not yet been determined.—
CA WILDFIRE BOT,
Sacbee.com,
15 Apr. 2025
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No cause of the blast has yet to be determined, said Keith Holloway, NTSB spokesman, but a government felt a full investigation was warranted.—
Eric Adler,
Kansas City Star,
15 Apr. 2025
Noun
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Yet this brand of Christian Zionism is clearly the forerunner to today’s – and holds sway in Washington.—
Shalom Goldman,
The Conversation,
2 Apr. 2025
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The title is an apt, if sort of obvious, introduction to Turner, who has been hailed as the forerunner to modern art.—
Tessa Solomon,
ARTnews.com,
28 Mar. 2025
Noun
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Until recently, the ancestors of insects were thought to be more millipede-like and evolved once invertebrates began to live on land.—
Riley Black,
Smithsonian Magazine,
9 Apr. 2025
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During the Pleistocene, our ancestors lived through several different ice ages.—
Laura Baisas,
Popular Science,
9 Apr. 2025
Noun
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In addition, neighborhoods would no longer be required — as a precursor to meters — to test out two-hour and three-hour parking zones enforced by chalking tires instead of meters.—
David Garrick,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
6 Apr. 2025
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Directed by Arthur Penn, who brought a bold visual style, frank sexuality and graphic, balletic violence to a Hollywood dominated by optimistic pictures, this countercultural romance served as a precursor to the generational tension and mistrust in authority that was quietly pervading the country.—
Travis Bean,
Forbes.com,
5 Apr. 2025
Noun
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Smith, though, applies the moniker more readily to his predecessors who ventured heroically into the relative unknown.—
Julia Boatman,
Robb Report,
12 Apr. 2025
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Scattered but often intriguing, Season 6 marked both an improvement on its predecessor and a departure from the series’ typically grim, ironic, dystopian science fiction.—
Judy Berman,
Time,
10 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Antecedent.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/antecedent. Accessed 22 Apr. 2025.
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