Merriam-Webster Collegiate Dictionary - antecedent

 I. noun  Etymology: Middle English, from Medieval Latin & Latin; Medieval Latin ~-, antecedens, from Latin, what precedes, from neuter of ~-, 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  II. adjective  Date: 14th century prior  Synonyms: see preceding  • ~ly adverb