antecedent

1 someone or something responsible for a result what are the antecedents of the American Revolutionary War? Synonyms cause, causality, causation, occasion, reasonRelated Words consideration, determinant, factor; alpha and omega, be-all and end-all; impetus, incentive, inspiration, instigation, stimulus; mother, origin, root, source, springNear Antonyms ramification; denouement (also dénouement), repercussion; conclusion, end; by-product, side effect (also side reaction)Antonyms aftereffect, aftermath, consequence, corollary, development, effect, fate, fruit, issue, outcome, outgrowth, product, result, resultant, sequel, sequence, upshot

2 something belonging to an earlier time from which something else was later developed the typewriter is the antecedent of the computer keyboard Synonyms ancestor, archetype, daddy, foregoer, forerunner, granddaddy (also grandaddy), precursor, predecessor, prototypeRelated Words model, original; originator, sire; father, motherNear Antonyms by-product, derivative, offshoot, outgrowth, spin-off; daughter, sonAntonyms descendant (also descendent)