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The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 (gcide)

Antecedent \An`te*ced"ent\, a. [L. antecedens, -entis, p. pr. of
antecedere: cf. F. ant['e]c['e]dent.]
1. Going before in time; prior; anterior; preceding; as, an
event antecedent to the Deluge; an antecedent cause.
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2. Presumptive; as, an antecedent improbability.
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Syn: Prior; previous; foregoing.
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Antecedent \An`te*ced"ent\, n. [Cf. F. ant['e]c['e]dent.]
1. That which goes before in time; that which precedes.
--South.
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The Homeric mythology, as well as the Homeric
language, has surely its antecedents. --Max Miller.
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2. One who precedes or goes in front. [Obs.]
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My antecedent, or my gentleman usher. --Massinger.
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3. pl. The earlier events of one's life; previous principles,
conduct, course, history. --J. H. Newman.
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If the troops . . . prove worthy of their
antecedents, the victory is surely ours. --Gen. G.
McClellan.
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4. (Gram.) The noun to which a relative refers; as, in the
sentence "Solomon was the prince who built the temple,"
prince is the antecedent of who.
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5. (Logic)
(a) The first or conditional part of a hypothetical
proposition; as, If the earth is fixed, the sun must
move.
(b) The first of the two propositions which constitute an
enthymeme or contracted syllogism; as, Every man is
mortal; therefore the king must die.
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6. (Math.) The first of the two terms of a ratio; the first
or third of the four terms of a proportion. In the ratio
a:b, a is the antecedent, and b the consequent.
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