Antecedent
Antecedent noun - Something belonging to an earlier time from which something else was later developed.
Usage example: the typewriter is the antecedent of the computer keyboard
Derivative is an antonym for antecedent.
Nearby Word: antecedently
Derivative
Derivative noun - Something that naturally develops or is developed from something else.
Usage example: the whole field of industrial robots is a derivative of technology developed for the space program
Antecedent is an antonym for derivative.
How words are described
| obvious | obvious antecedent | obvious derivative |
Cite this Source
Derivative and Antecedent. (2016). Retrieved 2026, August 10, from https://thesaurus.plus/related/antecedent/derivative
Antecedent & Derivative. N.p., 2016. Web. 10 Aug. 2026. <https://thesaurus.plus/related/antecedent/derivative>.
Derivative or Antecedent. 2016. Accessed August 10, 2026. https://thesaurus.plus/related/antecedent/derivative.
Google Ngram Viewer shows how "antecedent" and "derivative" have occurred on timeline