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
airmail.news, 20 July 2024
At an apparel level, the two do habitually converse—Coco Chanel launched her business making tennis dresses, and today’s athleisure has antecedents in Claire McCardell’s bodysuits and Y2K-era Prada Sport.
—Maya Singer, Vogue, 8 Jan. 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
Chinatown is, therefore, very much in argument with the style and structure of its antecedents, manifestly not the neo-noir it is often said to be.
—airmail.news, 20 July 2024
At an apparel level, the two do habitually converse—Coco Chanel launched her business making tennis dresses, and today’s athleisure has antecedents in Claire McCardell’s bodysuits and Y2K-era Prada Sport.
—Maya Singer, Vogue, 8 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for antecedent
Recent Examples of Synonyms for antecedent
Adjective
-
The Heat, by making the playoffs, wound up at No. 15 in the draft order, with that selection now belonging to the Oklahoma City Thunder, to complete a previous trade obligation.—
Ira Winderman,
Sun Sentinel,
13 May 2025
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The email continues: Unfortunately, the previous owner did not disclose that thousands of Lifetime Deals (LTDs) had been sold through platforms like StackSocial.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
12 May 2025
Noun
-
Take a night run or rock on to support good causes, go to a block party, have a scary good time, listen to heroic tunes or shop local at a farmers market.—
John Coffren,
Baltimore Sun,
9 May 2025
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The Oceanside Police Department is actively investigating the cause of the crash, per the Oceanside Fire Department.—
Ingrid Vasquez,
People.com,
9 May 2025
Noun
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While his Late Night forerunner Letterman was probably the comedic polestar of Generation X—gruff, cynical, and biting the hand that fed—O’Brien became a bedrock influence for the next generation of Millennial comics.—
David Sims,
The Atlantic,
22 Mar. 2025
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The New York Dolls were forerunners of punk, and the band's style -- teased hair, women's clothes and lots of makeup -- inspired the glam movement that took up residence in heavy metal a decade later in bands like Faster Pussycat and Mötley Crüe.—
MARK KENNEDY THE ASSOCIATED PRESS,
arkansasonline.com,
2 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
Porter County Board of Commissioners President Jim Biggs noted his ancestors were among the first white settlers in the county in 1835, at a settlement a few hundred feet from the site.—
Doug Ross,
Chicago Tribune,
18 May 2025
-
Moringa oleifera is native to Indian subcontinent, particularly the Himalayan foothills, while another species, Moringa stenopetala, grows in the Horn of Africa: southern Ethiopia, northern Kenya, and even Somalia, where Elba’s ancestors are from.—
India Espy-Jones,
Essence,
15 May 2025
Noun
-
Passionate about utopian socialism and architecture, Gaudí’s forms and shapes were totally fresh, otherworldly and are sometimes referred to as a precursor of the Surrealist movement, of which Salvator Dalí was a key proponent.—
Sofia Celeste,
Footwear News,
8 May 2025
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Back then, President Barack Obama cancelled the space agency’s Constellation program—the precursor of Artemis, which was aiming to have bootprints back on the moon as early as 2015.—
Jeffrey Kluger,
Time,
6 May 2025
Noun
-
This isn’t going to be exactly like its immediate predecessors.—
Christopher Cruz,
Rolling Stone,
15 May 2025
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As this report explained, each park broke new ground and exceeded the expectations set by its predecessors.—
Caroline Reid,
Forbes.com,
15 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Antecedent.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/antecedent. Accessed 23 May. 2025.
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