antecedent
UK: ˌæntɪˈsiːdnt | US: ˌæntəˈsiːdnt
n. 1. A thing or event that existed before or logically precedes another.
n. 2. (Grammar) A word, phrase, or clause referred to by a pronoun.
adj. 1. Preceding in time or order; prior.
The word "antecedent" derives from Latin antecedens, the present participle of antecedere ("to go before"), combining ante- (before) and cedere (to go). The morpheme ante- appears in English words like "anterior" and "antebellum," while ced- (from cedere) is seen in "cede," "recede," and "precede." The suffix -ent forms nouns/adjectives indicating agency or state. The term originally described temporal or logical precedence, later adopted in grammar to denote pronoun referents.
The invention of the wheel was an antecedent to modern transportation.
In the sentence "The book that I read was fascinating," "book" is the antecedent of "that."
Historical events often serve as antecedents for cultural shifts.
The antecedent conditions for the experiment were carefully controlled.
Her research focused on the antecedents of economic crises.