antecedent

Wilson redefined “liberty” not as a natural right antecedent to the government, but as “the right of those who are governed to adjust government to their own needs and interests.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 15, 2026

“He felt like a direct historical antecedent to the Rupert Pupkins and Travis Bickles of the world. He fell through the cracks and we lost potentially one of our greatest presidents because of it.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 6, 2025

They found that physical frailty can be an indicator of future social isolation over time and that loneliness may be both an antecedent and an outcome of frailty.

From Science Daily ● Nov. 14, 2024

Maybe the Satanic panic isn't even the best kind of antecedent, but rather the child abduction panic or the gang crime panic, where there is a real problem, but blown out of proportion.

From Salon ● Oct. 8, 2024

Steve had been a teacher of Afrikaans, and he not only spoke perfect Afrikaans but its antecedent, High Dutch.

From "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela

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

“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

After all, machines that could play decent games of chess did not appear until the antecedents of IBM's Deep Blue in the late 20th century.

From Salon ● May 30, 2023

In view of these antecedents, it is not surprising that three of the insecticides that are related to this group are among the most violently poisonous of all the hydrocarbons.

From "Silent Spring" by Rachel Carson