What context can I use each word in?
Learn when and how to use these words with these examples!
preceding
Example
The preceding chapter discussed the history of the city. [preceding: adjective]
Example
She was nervous about the presentation because of the preceding speaker's impressive performance. [preceding: present participle]
Example
The CEO's preceding experience in the industry made her a valuable asset to the company. [preceding: verb]
antecedent
Example
The antecedent to the conflict was a misunderstanding between the two parties. [antecedent: noun]
Example
The antecedent event led to the discovery of the new species. [antecedent: adjective]
Example
In the sentence 'John lost his keys', 'John' is the antecedent of the pronoun 'his'. [antecedent: grammatical term]
Good things to know
Which word is more common?
Preceding is more commonly used than antecedent in everyday language and writing.
What’s the difference in the tone of formality between preceding and antecedent?
Both preceding and antecedent are commonly used in academic or formal writing, but antecedent may have a more technical or specialized connotation due to its use as a grammatical term.
