Synonyms for antecedent
- adjective
- noun
Synonyms by meaning
Adjective
1. Prior — earlier, either in time or in order
prior, precedent, preceding, earlier, former, anterior, previous, prevenient formal, foregoing, prefatory, past, fore, preliminary, precursory, erstwhile, whilom, predecessive dated
Other
Noun
1. Forerunner — an ancestor
forerunner, ascendant, predecessor, forefather, progenitor, forbear, foregoer
Definitions
- adj. 1
Earlier, either in time or in order.
an event antecedent to the Biblical Flood
- n. 1
An ancestor.
- n. 2
Any thing that precedes another thing, especially the cause of the second thing.
Related words
- Word family
- antecedently antecede antecedence
Forms
- Plural
- antecedents → forerunners, ascendants, predecessors, forefathers…
Choose the right word
An antecedent simply precedes a result, with or without any agency in producing it; as, Monday is the invariable antecedent of Tuesday, but not the cause of it. The direct antonym of cause is effect, while that of antecedent is consequent.
J. C. Fernald, English Synonyms and Antonyms (1914)
Example sentences
- precedent Will this set a good precedent or a bad precedent?
- preceding This contract will nullify all preceding contracts.
- foregoing You’re basically foregoing massive amounts of votes.
By length
- 4 letters
- past1, root1, fore1
- 5 letters
- cause1, prior2
- 6 letters
- former2, whilom
- 7 letters
- earlier3, forbear
- 8 letters
- previous3, anterior4, ancestor3, protasis, foregoer
- 9 letters
- precedent3, preceding3, precursor3, foregoing3, erstwhile2, ascendant3, prefatory
- 10 letters
- forerunner3, progenitor4, forefather3, precursory, prevenient
- 11 letters
- preliminary5, predecessor4, preexistent
- 12 letters
- anticipatory6, predecessive
The small number after each word is its number of syllables (prior2 = 2 syllables).
In other languages
- Français
- antécédent