antecedent
noun/ˌæntiˈsidənt/
Frequency rank: #18,632 most common English word
Meaning
A thing or event that comes before and often influences something that follows; in grammar, the word a pronoun refers to.
Example sentence
The pronoun 'she' refers back to its antecedent, which is the noun 'Maria' earlier in the sentence.
Synonyms & related words
- predecessor
- precursor
- referent
- forerunner
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