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Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary an·te·ced·ent
ETYMOLOGY Middle English, from Medieval Latin & Latin; Medieval Latin antecedent-, antecedens, from Latin, what precedes, from neuter of antecedent-, antecedens, present participle of antecedere to go before, from ante- + cedere to go DATE 14th century 1. a substantive word, phrase, or clause whose denotation is referred to by a pronoun (as John in “Mary saw John and called to him”); broadly : a word or phrase replaced by a substitute 2. the conditional element in a proposition (as if A in “if A, then B”) 3. the first term of a mathematical ratio 4. a. a preceding event, condition, or cause b. plural : the significant events, conditions, and traits of one's earlier life 5. a. predecessor ; especially : a model or stimulus for later developments b. plural : ancestors, parents
adjective DATE 14th century : prior Synonyms: see preceding • an·te·ced·ent·ly adverb English Etymology antecedent late 14c., from Fr. antecedent (14c.), from L. antecedentem(nom. antecedens), prp. of antecedere "go before," from ante-"before" (see ante) + cedere "to yield" (see cede). Used as a noun in L. philosophical writings. Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary-牛津双解-OALD7 antecedent ante·ce·dent / 7Anti5si:dnt / noun1. [C] (formal) a thing or an event that exists or comes before another, and may have influenced it 前事；前情 2. antecedents [pl.] (formal) the people in sb's family who lived a long time ago 祖先；先人 SYN ancestors
3. [C] (grammar 语法) a word or phrase to which the following word, especially a pronoun, refers 先行词；先行语: In 'He grabbed the ball and threw it in the air', 'ball' is the antecedent of 'it'. 在 He grabbed the ball and threw it in the air 一句中,ball 是 it 的先行词。 adjective (formal) previous 先前的: antecedent events 先前的事件 Webster's Third New International Dictionary, Unabridged an·te·ced·ent I. \ˌantəˈsēdənt, ˌaan-\ noun (-s) Etymology: Middle English, from Medieval Latin & Latin; Medieval Latin antecedent-, antecedens grammatical antecedent, logical antecedent, from Latin antecedent-, antecedens logical antecedent, literally, one that goes before, from neuter of antecedent-, antecedens, present participle of antecedere 1. a. : a substantive word, phrase, or clause referred to by a pronoun, typically by a following pronoun (as John in “I saw John and spoke to him” or that he is ill in “I hear that he is ill and it worries me”) b. : any word or group of words replaced and referred to by a substitute (as at the meeting in “I looked for him at the meeting but he wasn't there”) 2. logic a. (1) : the conditional element in a proposition (as if A in the proposition “if A, then B”) (2) : either premise in a categorical syllogism b. : the condition upon which truth depends 3. : the first term of a mathematical ratio (as a in the ratio a:b) 4. a. : an event, condition, situation, circumstance, or complex preceding and often influencing or conditioning an occurrence or issue — usually used in plural < antecedents and consequences of the war > b. antecedents plural : the significant events, conditions, principles, traits, or activities of one's earlier life 5. a. : a predecessor in a series; especially : one that may serve as a model or stimulus for later developments in the series < a stringed instrument believed to be an antecedent of the banjo > b. antecedents plural : ancestors, forefathers, parents < of English and Scotch-Irish antecedents > 6. a. in canon and fugue : the subject or opening theme restated by the consequent b. : a proposing phrase or section of a musical passage as distinguished from the following responding phrase or section Synonyms: see cause II. \| ̷ ̷ ̷ ̷| ̷ ̷ ̷ ̷\ adjective Etymology: Middle English, from Latin antecedent-, antecedens, present participle of antecedere 1. : existing or occurring before in time or order often with consequential effects : prior , anterior , preceding < a synthesis of much antecedent thought — H.O.Taylor > < rights to government — Time > 2. logic : prior to investigation, further knowledge, or setting up of conditions : a priori : presumptive < an antecedent probability > 3. : established before the deformation of a surface and persisting after the deformation has taken place and in spite of it — used of drainage, a stream, or a valley; compare consequent II 5• an·te·ced·ent·ly adverb |
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