1. in a way that refers back to a previously mentioned word or phrase
Usage: linguistics; grammar

Examples

• The pronoun ‘it’ functions anaphorically, referring back to the noun ‘book’ mentioned earlier.
• In the sentence ‘John arrived late, and he was tired,’ the word ‘he’ works anaphorically.
• The demonstrative ‘that’ is used anaphorically to point back to the previous statement.
• Linguists study how certain words function anaphorically in discourse.
• The term ‘such’ operates anaphorically, connecting to ideas expressed before.
• Students learn to identify when pronouns are used anaphorically versus cataphorically.