Antecedent

Part of speech: noun (n.)

1. That which goes before in time; that which precedes. South. The Homeric mythology, as well as the Homeric language, has surely its antecedents. Max Miller.

2. One who precedes or goes in front. [Obs.] My antecedent, or my gentleman usher. Massinger.

3. The earlier events of one's life; previous principles, conduct, course, history. J. H. Newman. If the troops . . . prove worthy of their antecedents, the victory is surely ours. Gen. G. McClellan.

4. The noun to which a relative refers; as, in the sentence "Solomon was the prince who built the temple," prince is the antecedent of who.

5. The first or conditional part of a hypothetical proposition; as, If the earth is fixed, the sun must move.

6. The first of the two propositions which constitute an enthymeme or contracted syllogism; as, Every man is mortal; therefore the king must die.

7. The first of the two terms of a ratio; the first or third of the four terms of a proportion. In the ratio a:b, a is the antecedent, and b the consequent.

Part of speech: adjective (a.)

1. Going before in time; prior; anterior; preceding; as, an event antecedent to the Deluge; an antecedent cause.

2. Presumptive; as, an antecedent improbability.

Synonyms: Prior; previous; foregoing.