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Synonyms

antecedents

British  
/ ˌæntɪˈsiːdənts /

plural noun

  1. ancestry

  2. a person's past history

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

While going rather easy on King George, Ms. Worsley is dismayed by the strategy of her antecedents, whose tactics often seemed calculated to fan the sputtering flames of rebellion.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 2, 2026

There are antecedents for what Universal is attempting.

From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 5, 2025

The current wave of activism, he observes, is not so different from its antecedents.

From Salon • May 2, 2024

“If I do something that shocks me or that I’m not proud of, I’m able to frame that behaviorally and sort of understand the antecedents, the behavior itself and then the consequence,” she said.

From Seattle Times • Dec. 1, 2023

One ridiculous accident which happened about this time is worth mentioning, not because it had any consequences or antecedents, but because it was somehow the sort of thing which happened to Lancelot.

From "The Once and Future King" by T. H. White

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