1. the state of being or going before in time or order; precedence
Usage: formal

Examples

• The antecedence of the original manuscript was clearly established by carbon dating.
• Historical antecedence is crucial when determining the authenticity of ancient artifacts.
• The judge ruled based on the antecedence of the plaintiff’s claim over the defendant’s.
• In grammar, pronoun antecedence refers to the noun that comes before and is replaced by the pronoun.
• The antecedence of this tradition can be traced back several centuries.
• Legal scholars debated the antecedence of various constitutional amendments.