antecedent
an-te-ce-dent
noun
A thing or event existing or occurring before another.
"The invention of the wheel was an important antecedent."
adjective
Preceding in time or order; prior.
"The antecedent conditions led to the current situation."
noun
A word, phrase, or clause replaced by a pronoun.
"In 'Mary loves her dog', 'Mary' is the antecedent."
Thesaurus
Synonyms: pre-existent, preexistent, anterior, prior, pre-existing, preexisting, prevenient, anticipatory, ascendant, ascendent, ancestor, root
Antonyms: descendant, descendent, subsequent