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A basic principle of good writing is to keep your antecedents clear. Pronouns are useful when you want to avoid repeating a noun; for example, instead of saying "Noah Webster published his first dictionary in 1806, and Noah Webster published his second dictionary in 1828," we replace the second "Noah Webster" with "he." But writers sometimes leave their antecedents unclear: in "Noah Webster and Samuel Johnson both wrote dictionaries, but his was bigger," it is unclear whose dictionary was bigger. (It was Webster's.) This problem can occur not only with he and she but also with they, them, it, this, those, and that. And keep in mind too that antecedent isn't just a grammar term. The antecedents of an event are what preceded, or led up to, the event, and your own antecedents are your parents and ancestors. The word has distinct meanings in math and logic as well.
Examples of antecedent in a Sentence
Book Marks
july 17, Literary Hub, 17 July 2025
Several Supreme Court justices have openly questioned the principle, its application to the states and its historic antecedents.
—Time, 10 July 2025
Chris Lee, Vulture, 15 Aug. 2025
The realities of holding on to a job or keeping a company alive supersede any antecedent personal ethics.
—Sachin H. Jain, Forbes, 21 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for antecedent
Cite this Entry
“Antecedent.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/antecedent. Accessed 29 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
antecedent
1 of 2 noun
antecedent
2 of 2 adjective
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