1an·te·ced·ent 
/ˌæntəˈsi:dənt/ noun
plural an·te·ced·ents /ˌæntəˈsi:dənt/ noun 1 [count] grammar : a word or phrase that is represented by another word (such as a pronoun)
▪ “John” is the antecedent of the pronoun “him” in “Mary saw John and thanked him.” 2 [count] formal : something that came before something else and may have influenced or caused it
▪ The events were antecedents of/to the war. [=the events helped to cause the war] ▪ the antecedents of rap music [=music that came before and influenced rap music] 3 antecedents [plural] formal : the people in a family who lived in past times
▪ He is proud of his Scottish antecedents. [=(more commonly) ancestors]
▪ “John” is the antecedent of the pronoun “him” in “Mary saw John and thanked him.”
▪ The events were antecedents of/to the war. [=the events helped to cause the war] ▪ the antecedents of rap music [=music that came before and influenced rap music]
▪ He is proud of his Scottish antecedents. [=(more commonly) ancestors]
