The meaning of ANTECEDENT is a substantive word, phrase, or clause whose denotation is referred to by a pronoun that typically follows the substantive (such as John in 'Maria saw …

Dec 19, 2022 · In English grammar, an antecedent is a person, place, thing, or clause represented by a pronoun or pronominal adjective. It is also known as a referent. Antecedents …

An antecedent is the noun (or noun phrase) to which a pronoun refers to in a sentence. In other words, the antecedent gives meaning to the pronoun.

ANTECEDENT definition: 1. someone or something existing or happening before, especially as the cause or origin of…. Learn more.

Aug 12, 2025 · An antecedent is the noun or noun phrase that a pronoun refers to or replaces. Every time you use a pronoun like “he,” “she,” “it,” or “they,” that pronoun needs to point back …

Antecedent definition: preceding; prior.. See examples of ANTECEDENT used in a sentence.

Define antecedent: An antecedent is a word to which another word, usually a pronoun, refers. There are a number of things that you need to keep in mind with antecedents in grammar.

Jul 14, 2024 · In grammar, an antecedent (also known as a referent) is a word or phrase that a pronoun refers back to. Antecedents add clarity to a sentence so that you don’t need to rely on …

Oct 7, 2025 · At its core, an antecedent is the word or phrase that a pronoun refers back to in a sentence. Think of it as the “boss” word that gives meaning or clarity to the pronoun that follows.

Aug 18, 2023 · An antecedent is the subject of a sentence and is named as such when it is replaced by a pronoun later in the sentence. This guide is part of our free online Grammar Book.