1
as in causes
someone or something responsible for a result
what are the antecedents of the American Revolutionary War?
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in forerunners
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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of antecedents
The parallel plotlines involving Ali’s possible descendants and problematic antecedents, including a father (Ercan Kesal) who seems to be particularly abusive towards his wife, collide in highly unusual ways during the movie’s volatile second half.
—
Jordan Mintzer, The Hollywood Reporter, 25 Jan. 2025
Art-wise, there are antecedents.
—Todd Martens, Los Angeles Times, 23 Jan. 2025
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
But what sets the West apart from all its historical antecedents and modern counterparts is precisely its trial-and-error democracies, protected by politically and economically inclusive institutions.
—Vuk Vukovic, TIME, 10 Oct. 2024
The results said much about the foundational beliefs that serve as antecedents to their voting proclivities.
—Dr. Marcus Collins, Forbes, 10 Oct. 2024
Chinatown is 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
Jordan Mintzer, The Hollywood Reporter, 25 Jan. 2025
Art-wise, there are antecedents.
—Todd Martens, Los Angeles Times, 23 Jan. 2025
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
But what sets the West apart from all its historical antecedents and modern counterparts is precisely its trial-and-error democracies, protected by politically and economically inclusive institutions.
—Vuk Vukovic, TIME, 10 Oct. 2024
The results said much about the foundational beliefs that serve as antecedents to their voting proclivities.
—Dr. Marcus Collins, Forbes, 10 Oct. 2024
Chinatown is 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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for antecedents
Noun
-
That amount of money goes a long way in Washington, and these firms have managed to retain former lawmakers, major political fundraisers, and one-time senior government staffers to plead their respective causes.—
Robert Schmad,
The Washington Examiner,
28 Oct. 2025
-
Experts have said there are multiple causes of autism, and the science showing a connection between autism and Tylenol is not settled.—
Jacqueline Howard,
CNN Money,
28 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Compared to their forerunners in the tsarist era, with their party congresses held abroad, their executive committees, and their active recruitment in imperial Russia’s universities, Soviet dissidents remained a comparatively small and informal conglomeration of activists.—
Benjamin Nathans
September 24,
Literary Hub,
24 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Moore suggests focusing on the social determinants of health — providing stable housing and a strong education, for instance — in addition to intervention work.—
Cleo Krejci,
jsonline.com,
16 Sep. 2025
-
Many infectious diseases are lethal only for the poor; they are layered atop comorbidities and chronic conditions produced by social and commercial determinants of health.—
Stan Chu Ilo,
Chicago Tribune,
3 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
More rails flew back — their distant ancestors, still strong in Madagascar, made the same flight again.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
29 Oct. 2025
-
In the early 2020s, ancestors of the founder worked to bring the brand back to life, refocusing on the original cast-iron products that cooks loved.—
Editors of Bon Appétit,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
29 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Li said Sunday that the parties had brokered a preliminary framework for a trade truce including new provisions regarding China’s export controls and safeguards against the smuggling of fentanyl and its chemical precursors.—
Kate Nishimura,
Sourcing Journal,
27 Oct. 2025
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The team’s innovation focuses on Surface Immobilized Electrides, a new type of material made by attaching solvated electron precursors to stable surfaces like diamond and silicon carbide.—
Aamir Khollam,
Interesting Engineering,
27 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
On Tuesday, Sanae Takaichi met face-to-face with a man who has rattled leaders around the world, including her Japanese predecessors, on both security and economic fronts.—
Miranda Jeyaretnam,
Time,
28 Oct. 2025
-
That third and final generation (2013 through 2017) was sophisticated by comparison to its predecessors, although drivers still had to stir their own six-speed gearbox and work a massive clutch pedal.—
Robert Ross,
Robb Report,
28 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Antecedents.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/antecedents. Accessed 4 Nov. 2025.
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