Antecedents: meaning, definitions and examples

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antecedents

 

[ ˌantɪˈsiː.dənts ]

Noun
Context #1 | Noun

legal

A person, thing, or event that existed before or logically precedes another.

Synonyms

ancestor, forerunner, predecessor

Examples of usage

  • The antecedents of the conflict date back to the colonial era.
  • In this case, the antecedent is the previous decision made by the court.
Context #2 | Noun

grammar

A word, phrase, clause, or sentence to which another word (especially a pronoun) refers.

Synonyms

precedent, referent

Examples of usage

  • In the sentence 'John lost his wallet,' 'John' is the antecedent of 'his.'
  • She asked the students to identify the antecedent of each pronoun in the passage.

Translations

Translations of the word "antecedents" in other languages:

🇵🇹 antecedentes

🇮🇳 पूर्ववर्ती

🇩🇪 Vorfahren

🇮🇩 leluhur

🇺🇦 попередники

🇵🇱 przodkowie

🇯🇵 前例 (ぜんれい)

🇫🇷 antécédents

🇪🇸 antecedentes

🇹🇷 öncüller

🇰🇷 선행 사건

🇸🇦 أسلاف

🇨🇿 předchůdci

🇸🇰 predchodcovia

🇨🇳 前因

🇸🇮 predhodniki

🇮🇸 forverar

🇰🇿 алдыңғылар

🇬🇪 წინამორბედები

🇦🇿 əvvəlkilər

🇲🇽 antecedentes

Word origin

The word 'antecedents' originates from the Latin word 'antecedentem' (nominative 'antecedens'), which is the present participle of 'antecedere,' meaning 'to go before.' In English, the term has been used in legal contexts since the 17th century and in grammar since the 18th century.

Word Frequency Rank

At position #14,330, this word is part of sophisticated English vocabulary. It's useful for academic or professional contexts where precise language is needed.