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
Nathaniel D. F. Allen, Foreign Affairs, 18 June 2015
Many of Guardiola’s most famous antecedents — Bill Shankly, Arrigo Sacchi — either resigned or retired because of the strain the job placed on them.
—Rory Smith, The Athletic, 24 Dec. 2024
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
The Boko Haram insurgency itself has an antecedent in the Maitatsine religious upheavals of the 1980s, a tumultuous chapter in northern Nigerian history that claimed over 5,000 lives.
—Nathaniel D. F. Allen, Foreign Affairs, 18 June 2015
Many of Guardiola’s most famous antecedents — Bill Shankly, Arrigo Sacchi — either resigned or retired because of the strain the job placed on them.
—Rory Smith, The Athletic, 24 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for antecedent
Recent Examples of Synonyms for antecedent
Adjective
-
In the lead up to the party, Eady had expressed contrition to other cast members about her previous actions toward Moore.—
Kate Aurthur,
Variety,
7 Apr. 2025
-
Production is expected to begin sometime in 2026, which—based on the show’s previous timelines—means the next season likely won’t premiere until late 2026 or even 2027.—
Monica Mercuri,
Forbes.com,
7 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
Currently, there is no data on the containment status of the fire and the cause has yet to be determined.—
CA WILDFIRE BOT,
Sacbee.com,
3 Apr. 2025
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On Tuesday, the Arenas Del Mar resort offered its condolences but said the cause of death was still uncertain at the time.—
Djenane Villanueva,
CNN Money,
3 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
The most obvious forerunner is Video Quartet, a 2002 work in which four screens show four videos simultaneously, each constructed from myriad film clips, all synced in a way that interlaces their soundtracks into a musical composition.—
Jonathon Keats,
Forbes.com,
28 Mar. 2025
-
Solution #4: Charles Schwab Schwab, a forerunner in discount brokerage, has a bank subsidiary that can do what banks usually do.—
William Baldwin,
Forbes,
16 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
The ancestors of tens of millions of Americans left miserable lives in Ireland for initially difficult ones here.—
Kevin Rennie,
Hartford Courant,
29 Mar. 2025
-
The flights will begin before Chuseok (October 15), also known as Korean Thanksgiving Day, which celebrates both the harvest and their ancestors.—
Brandon Withrow,
Travel + Leisure,
26 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
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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Whereas Main Street’s predecessor as recently as October of 2024 had planned to void all of its legacy MLB deals but for one, the company entered the new season with nine clubs under contract.—
Anthony Crupi,
Sportico.com,
28 Mar. 2025
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Larry, who died in January, was a 31-year veteran of the New York office of FTA and its predecessor, the Urban Mass Transportation Administration (UMTA), who began as a political appointee in 1981 under the Reagan administration and stayed, switching over to being in the career civil service.—
New York Daily News Editorial Board,
New York Daily News,
27 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Antecedent.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/antecedent. Accessed 13 Apr. 2025.
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