antecedent

What it means

1. not comparableEarlier, either in time or in order.

   an antecedent cause

   1 more example

   an event antecedent to the Biblical Flood

   Synonyms: precedent, predecessive, preceding · Antonyms: successive

2. not comparablePresumptive.

   an antecedent improbability

In a sentence

an antecedent cause

Where it comes from

1. Latinantecēdēns“going before”
2. Old Frenchantecedent
3. Middle Englishantecedent
4. Englishantecedent

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