prevenient

comparative more prevenient · superlative most prevenient

1. formalRelating to prevenience; antecedent; preceding; coming or happening before.

   They drank and bet and muttered in an air of electric transiency, old men in gaitered sleeves galvanized from some stained sepia, posting time at cards prevenient of their dimly augured doom.

   1979, Cormac McCarthy, Suttree, Random House, page 22

   1 more example

   Prevenient Grace deſcending had remov'd / The ſtonie from thir hearts, and made new fleſh / Regenerat grow inſtead, that ſighs now breath'd / Unutterable, which the Spirit of prayer / Inſpir'd, and wing'd for Heav'n with ſpeedier flight / Then loudeſt Oratorie: […]

   1667, John Milton, “Book XI”, in Paradise Lost. […], London: […] [Samuel Simmons], and are to be sold by Peter Parker […]; [a]nd by Robert Boulter […]; [a]nd Matthias Walker, […], →OCLC; republished as Paradise Lost in Ten Books: […], London: Basil Montagu Pickering […], 1873, →OCLC, lines 3–8

2. lifestyleOf grace: preceding repentance or faith and preparing the soul for salvation.

   So that in euery place we may see the mercy of god, eyther prevenient, or concomitant, eyther moving him to pitie us, or manifested in pitieing

   1626, IOHN GVMBLEDEN, Mr of Artes., GODS GREAT MERCY ΤΟ ΜΑΝΚINDE IN JESVS CHRIST. A SERMON PREACHED AT Pauls Crosse, March 18: being Palme Sunday. 1626., page 24