Synonyms for antecedent

Noun

1. ancestor, ascendant, ascendent, antecedent, root, relative, relation

usage: someone from whom you are descended (but usually more remote than a grandparent)

2. antecedent, cause

usage: a preceding occurrence or cause or event

3. antecedent, forerunner, temporal relation

usage: anything that precedes something similar in time; "phrenology was an antecedent of modern neuroscience"

4. antecedent, referent

usage: the referent of an anaphor; a phrase or clause that is referred to by an anaphoric pronoun

Adjective

1. antecedent (vs. subsequent), preceding, anterior, prior(prenominal), anticipatory, prevenient, preexistent, pre-existent, preexisting, pre-existing, preceding

usage: preceding in time or order