\An`te*ced"ent\, a. [L. antecedens, -entis, p. pr. of
antecedere: cf. F. ant['e]c['e]dent.]
1. Going before in time; prior; anterior; preceding; as, an
   event antecedent to the Deluge; an antecedent cause.
2. Presumptive; as, an antecedent improbability.
Syn: Prior; previous; foregoing.

\An`te*ced"ent\, n. [Cf. F. ant['e]c['e]dent.]
1. That which goes before in time; that which precedes.
   --South.
         The Homeric mythology, as well as the Homeric
         language, has surely its antecedents. --Max Miller.
2. One who precedes or goes in front. [Obs.]
         My antecedent, or my gentleman usher. --Massinger.
3. pl. The earlier events of one's life; previous principles,
   conduct, course, history. --J. H. Newman.
         If the troops . . . prove worthy of their
         antecedents, the victory is surely ours. --Gen. G.
                                               McClellan.
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.
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.
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.