Translation

先行するもの / 前提 / 先行詞

Meaning

An antecedent is something that came before another thing and helps explain it. The word is formal, and in grammar it often means the noun a pronoun refers back to.

Examples

• 経済危機にはいくつかの先行要因がありました。
  The economic crisis had several antecedents.
• 文中のitの先行詞がはっきりしません。
  The antecedent of it is not clear in the sentence.