definition of
antecedent

[1] #1 antecedent n. [ancestor, ascendant, ascendent, root] someone from whom you are descended (but usually more remote than a grandparent). wn

[2] #2 antecedent n. a preceding occurrence or cause or event. wn

[3] #3 antecedent a. preceding in time or order. wn

[4] #4 antecedent n. [forerunner] anything that precedes something similar in time; "phrenology was an antecedent of modern neuroscience". wn

[5] #5 antecedent n. the referent of an anaphor; a phrase or clause that is referred to by an anaphoric pronoun. wn