antenatus

noun

an·​te·​na·​tus

plural antenati

-āˌtī

: a person born before a certain time or event especially with reference to the existence of political rights (as a person born in an American colony before the Declaration of Independence)

—usually used in plural

eligibility of antenati to hold office

—opposed to postnatus

Word History

Etymology

Medieval Latin, firstborn son, ancestor, predecessor, from Latin ante- + natus, past participle of nasci to be born

First Known Use

1653, in the meaning defined above

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