| Main Entry: | |
| Part of Speech: | adjective |
| Definition: | beginning, prior |
| Synonyms: | antecedent, foregoing, former, past, precedent, preceding, previous |
| Notes: | anterior/ventral means 'front, situated at the front' and posterior/dorsal means 'rear, situated at the rear' |
| Antonyms: | ending, posterior, subsequent |
| Main Entry: | first |
| Part of Speech: | adjective |
| Definition: | earliest in order |
| Synonyms: | aboriginal, ahead, antecedent, anterior, basic, beginning, cardinal, early, elementary, first off, front, fundamental, head, headmost, in the beginning, inaugural, inceptive, incipient, initial, introductory, key, lead off, leading, least, number one, numero uno, opening, original, pioneer, premier, primary, prime, primeval, primitive, primogenial, primordial, pristine, right up front, rudimentary, slightest, smallest |
| Antonyms: | final, last |
| Main Entry: | foregoing |
| Part of Speech: | adjective |
| Definition: | come before; previous |
| Synonyms: | above, aforementioned, aforesaid, aforestated, antecedent, anterior, former, past, precedent, preceding, prior |
| Antonyms: | after |
| Main Entry: | former |
| Part of Speech: | adjective |
| Definition: | previous in time or order |
| Synonyms: | above, aforementioned, aforesaid, ancient, antecedent, anterior, bygone, departed, earlier, erstwhile, ex-, first, foregoing, late, long ago, long gone, of yore, old, once, one-time, past, preceding, prior, quondam, sometime, whilom |
| Notes: | latter means referring to the second of two things or persons mentioned; former means referring to the first of two things or persons mentioned |
| Antonyms: | after, current, ensuing, following, future, present, prospective, subsequent, succeeding |
| Main Entry: | forward |
| Part of Speech: | adjective |
| Definition: | in front, first |
| Synonyms: | advance, anterior, facial, fore, foremost, front, head, leading, ventral |
| Antonyms: | back, last |
| Main Entry: | front |
| Part of Speech: | adjective |
| Definition: | lead, beginning |
| Synonyms: | advanced, ahead, anterior, facial, first, fore, foremost, forward, frontal, head, headmost, in the foreground, leading, obverse, topmost, vanward, ventral |
| Antonyms: | back, ending, final, finishing, rear |
| Main Entry: | front |
| Part of Speech: | noun |
| Definition: | forward, beginning part of something |
| Synonyms: | anterior, bow, breast, brow, exterior, facade, face, facing, fore, foreground, forehead, forepart, front line, frontage, frontal, frontispiece, head, lead, obverse, proscenium, top, van, vanguard |
| Antonyms: | back, rear |
| Main Entry: | introductory |
| Part of Speech: | adjective |
| Definition: | preliminary, first |
| Synonyms: | anterior, basic, beginning, early, elementary, inaugural, incipient, inductive, initial, initiatory, opening, original, precursory, prefatory, prelusive, preparative, preparatory, primary, prior, proemial, provisional, rudimentary, starting |
| Antonyms: | concluding, ending, final, finishing, last |
| Main Entry: | past |
| Part of Speech: | adjective |
| Definition: | preceding, done |
| Synonyms: | accomplished, ago, antecedent, anterior, completed, elapsed, ended, extinct, finished, foregoing, forgotten, former, gone, gone by, over, over and done, precedent, previous, prior, spent |
| Antonyms: | current, future, present |