antecedents

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

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

“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

Her most obvious antecedents were probably the nervy, forever restless Bette Davis and her Gallic descendant, Jeanne Moreau.

From New York Times • Jun. 15, 2023

You write that "almost all of the court reforms being debated today have historical antecedents in the Reconstruction period."

From Salon • Jan. 15, 2023

Such as is more formal than like, but both are legitimate. possessive antecedents.

From "The Sense of Style" by Steven Pinker