An antecedent is a preceding event, condition, cause, phrase, or word. The etymology is from the Latin noun ''antecedentem'' meaning "something preceding", which comes from the preposition ''ante'' ("before") and the verb ''cedere'' ("to go"). More specifically, ''antecedent'' may refer to: * Antecedent (behavioral psychology), the stimulus that occurs before a trained behavior *

Antecedent (genealogy) In genealogy and in phylogenetic studies of evolutionary biology, antecedents or antecessors are predecessors in a family line. For example, one is the descendant of their grandparents, who are one's antecedents. This term has particular utility in ...

, antonym of descendant, genealogical predecessor in family line * Antecedent (grammar), the previously occurring noun phrase to which a pro-form refers * Antecedent (law), in crime, the history of a person * Antecedent (logic), the first half of a hypothetical proposition * Antecedent moisture, a hydrologic term describing the relative wetness condition of a catchment * A musical phrase (music) may be an antecedent or consequent phrase.

See also