v. t. & i. [ L. antecedere; ante + cedere to go. See Cede. ] To go before in time or place; to precede; to surpass. Sir M. Hale. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. 1. The act or state of going before in time; precedence. H. Spenser. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. (Astron.) An apparent motion of a planet toward the west; retrogradation. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. The state or condition of being antecedent; priority. Fothherby. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ L. antecedens, -entis, p. pr. of antecedere: cf. F. antécédent. ] 1. Going before in time; prior; anterior; preceding; as, an event antecedent to the Deluge; an antecedent cause. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Presumptive; as, an antecedent improbability. [ 1913 Webster ]

Syn. -- Prior; previous; foregoing. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Cf. F. antécédent. ] 1. That which goes before in time; that which precedes. South. [ 1913 Webster ]

The Homeric mythology, as well as the Homeric language, has surely its antecedents. Max Miller. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. One who precedes or goes in front. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

My antecedent, or my gentleman usher. Massinger. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. pl. The earlier events of one's life; previous principles, conduct, course, history. J. H. Newman. [ 1913 Webster ]

If the troops . . . prove worthy of their antecedents, the victory is surely ours. Gen. G. McClellan. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. (Gram.) The noun to which a relative refers; as, in the sentence “Solomon was the prince who built the temple, ” prince is the antecedent of who. [ 1913 Webster ]

5. (Logic) (a) The first or conditional part of a hypothetical proposition; as, If the earth is fixed, the sun must move. (b) The first of the two propositions which constitute an enthymeme or contracted syllogism; as, Every man is mortal; therefore the king must die. [ 1913 Webster ]

6. (Math.) The first of the two terms of a ratio; the first or third of the four terms of a proportion. In the ratio a:b, a is the antecedent, and b the consequent. [ 1913 Webster ]

adv. Previously; before in time; at a time preceding; as, antecedently to conversion. Barrow. [ 1913 Webster ]