Etymology

antecedent

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Today it means: Earlier, either in time or in order. Full definition →

Middle English antecedent ← Old French antecedent ← Latin antecēdēns
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The story

  1. Latin · derived fromantecēdēns“going before”
  2. Old French · derived fromantecedent
  3. Middle English · inherited fromantecedent
  4. English todayantecedent

From Middle English antecedent, borrowed from Old French antecedent, from Latin antecēdēns (“going before”), from antecēdō (“to precede; excel; surpass”).

Words from the same roots

Latinantecēdēns all →

antecedence

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.