Antecedent

Adjective

 * 1) Earlier, either in time or order.

Noun

 * 1) Any thing that precedes another thing, especially the cause of the second thing.
 * 2) An ancestor.
 * 3)  A word, phrase or clause referred to by a pronoun.
 * 4)  The conditional part of a hypothetical proposition.

Synonyms

 * precedent, precursor
 * ascendant, ascendent, forebear, forefather, forerunner, predecessor, progenitor

Antonyms

 * consequent
 * anaphor

Holonyms

 * Thesaurus:argument form

Thesaurus
agency; ancestor; ancestors; announcer; antecede; antecedents; antedate; anterior; anticipatory; ascendant; ascendants; avant-garde; base; basis; bellwether; buccinator; bushwhacker; call; causation; cause; cause and effect; chief; ci-devant; determinant; determinative; earlier; early; elder; elders; element; etiology; exordial; explorer; factor; fathers; first; fore; forebear; forebears; forefather; forefathers; foregoer; foregoing; foremost; forerun; forerunner; former; front runner; frontiersman; fugleman; grandfathers; grandparents; ground; groundbreaker; grounds; guide; harbinger; heading; headmost; herald; inaugural; initiatory; innovator; instrumentality; lead runner; leader; leading; means; messenger; occasion; older; pace; past; pathfinder; patriarchs; pioneer; point; precedent; preceding; precessional; precurrent; precursor; precursory; predate; predecessor; predecessors; preexistent; prefatory; preliminary; preludial; prelusive; premise; preparatory; prevenient; previous; prime; primogenitor; principle; prior; proemial; progenitor; progenitors; propaedeutic; prototype; reason; scout; senior; stimulus; stormy petrel; trailblazer; trailbreaker; vanguard; vaunt-courier; voortrekker