# antecedence

> English word · Noun · IPA /ænˈtɛsɪdəns/

## Definitions
1. The relationship of preceding something in time or order.
2. That which precedes something or someone (e.g. prior events, origin, ancestry).
3. The length of time by which one event or time period precedes another.
4. The relationship between a pronoun and its antecedent.
5. A geologic process that explains how and why antecedent rivers can cut through mountain systems instead of going around them.
6. An apparent motion of a planet toward the west.

## Etymology
From Latin antecēdentia from Latin antecēdēns (“preceding”), from antecēdō (“go before”).

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/antecedence