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
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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
Samantha Bergeson, IndieWire, 21 May 2025
European hard-right parties, some with fascist antecedents, hope to capitalize on Mr. Trump’s unrelenting presence and emulate his victory.
—Roger Cohen, New York Times, 11 Apr. 2025
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
Polish-born and Paris-based, Piotr Kamler is an experimental animator whose work explores temporal distortions and spatial paradoxes, conjuring here a slow-creeping sense of entrapment intensified by an unnerving soundscape—a clear antecedent to Barker’s nightmarish visions.
—Samantha Bergeson, IndieWire, 21 May 2025
European hard-right parties, some with fascist antecedents, hope to capitalize on Mr. Trump’s unrelenting presence and emulate his victory.
—Roger Cohen, New York Times, 11 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for antecedent
Recent Examples of Synonyms for antecedent
Adjective
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In July, a judge said Decarlos Brown might not be mentally capable of understanding previous charges against him.—
Amanda Lee Myers,
USA Today,
11 Sep. 2025
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The two sides reached terms on a renewal after a short-term extension to their previous pact, averting a blackout of Fox News and other nets on YouTube TV.—
Todd Spangler,
Variety,
10 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Investigators will be relying heavily on the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner to identify the victim and to figure out the cause of death, police sources said.—
Alex Stone,
ABC News,
10 Sep. 2025
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Don Lima, always a champion for civic causes, headed up the organization, which became the Italian American Heritage Foundation the following June.—
Sal Pizarro,
Mercury News,
10 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Schuyler, who a decade ago sold her company, Epitome Pictures, to DHX Media, a forerunner of Wild Brain Entertainment, was not available for comment on Wednesday.—
Etan Vlessing,
HollywoodReporter,
10 Sep. 2025
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The reactor is the forerunner to the Aalo Pod, a 50-megawatt modular power plant designed specifically for data centers.—
Neetika Walter,
Interesting Engineering,
29 Aug. 2025
Noun
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The norm is for ancient dugouts found in southern Florida to be linked to ancestors of the Calusa, the Seminole or the Miccosukee, according to the Florida Division of Historical Resources.—
Mark Price,
Miami Herald,
15 Sep. 2025
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This provides excellent evidence that all life on Earth shares one common ancestor.—
Thomas Moynihan,
Big Think,
15 Sep. 2025
Noun
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And the precursors for that reality may already be in motion, Metzger noted.—
Jackie Wattles,
CNN Money,
12 Sep. 2025
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After a follow-up period of 7½ years, the team concluded that higher iron levels in two key parts of the brain were linked to a higher risk of mild cognitive impairment, which is typically a precursor to the development of Alzheimer’s dementia.—
Melissa Rudy,
FOXNews.com,
12 Sep. 2025
Noun
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He has been put in charge of a fragile minority government prone to challenges, demands and upheaval from parties on both the far left and right — as the ousting of Bayrou and his predecessor, Michel Barnier, less than a year ago, has proven.—
Holly Ellyatt,
CNBC,
10 Sep. 2025
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Fumio Kishida, Ishiba’s direct predecessor, did not visit the shrine, although several of his ministers did, including his Defense Minister Minoru Kihara—the first serving defense chief to visit the shrine on the anniversary of Japan’s surrender.—
Miranda Jeyaretnam,
Time,
10 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Antecedent.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/antecedent. Accessed 17 Sep. 2025.
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