antecedes

antecedes — verb

  • antecedespresent simple I / you / we / they
  • antecedeses3rd person singular
  • antecedesing-ing form
  • antecedesedpast simple

1. to exist or happen at an earlier time than another event, person, or thing in a

1.verbtransitiveC1
Definition

to exist or happen at an earlier time than another event, person, or thing in a sequence — for example, the Bronze Age antecedes the Iron Age, or a first draft antecedes the final version.

Example

A short period of training antecedes the final exam at Marta's trade school.

simple pattern: [event] antecedes [later event]

In the museum's collection, a painting from 1928 antecedes the more famous work from 1935.

context with concrete dates

Common collocations
  • antecede [a period/era]
  • antecede [a discovery]
  • antecede [a work/text]
Synonyms
  • precede

    more common in both formal and informal contexts; 'antecede' is rarer and more literary

  • antedate

    specifically refers to a date or document being earlier; narrower than 'antecede'

  • come before

    everyday phrasal expression; neutral register, unlike the formal 'antecede'

Antonyms
  • follow

    direct opposite; much more common in all registers

  • succeed

    more formal opposite, meaning 'to come after in time or position'

Grammar Patterns

antecede + [something]

Usage Note

Frequently used in formal or academic writing about historical sequences, discoveries, or creative works. A more formal alternative to 'comes before' or 'precedes.' Not commonly used in everyday conversation.

Common Mistakes

Spring antecedes summer every year.
Spring comes before summer every year.
'antecedes' is too formal for ordinary seasonal references; use 'comes before' or 'precedes.'
The meeting anteceded the lunch break.
The meeting preceded the lunch break.
'precede' is the more common word for everyday scheduling; 'antecede' is best reserved for historical or formal contexts.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: verb/1

All three alternatives express the idea of being earlier in time or order. 'Precede' is the most common choice for both formal and everyday writing — it appears in contexts ranging from 'the preface precedes the main text' to 'thunder precedes lightning.' 'Antedate' has a narrower scope: it mainly applies to documents, events recorded on a specific date, or things that can be dated precisely, as in 'this map antedates the explorer's written journal by two years.' 'Come before' is the neutral, everyday phrasal verb used in conversation and simple writing ('Monday comes before Tuesday'). The key differentiation is register and scope: 'antecedes' sits at the formal end, overlapping most closely with 'precede' but far less common.

precede ↗antedatecome before ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Etymology

LatinEnglish

From Latin 'antecedere', formed from 'ante-' (meaning 'before') and 'cedere' (meaning 'to go'). The verb entered English in the early 1600s and has always carried the sense of going before in time, order, or importance.

First known use

1628

1628, in the meaning defined above