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Prefix · before / in front of

ante-

Signals before or in front of: antecedent, anteroom, antenatal, antebellum, antediluvian.

Literary

Written by Bryan López, English teacher · Updated

What does the prefix ante- mean?

Ante- comes from Latin and means "before" or "in front of". It marks something that comes first, either in time or in space. It is a fairly formal prefix, so you will see it more in books, articles and careful writing than in everyday conversation.

Ante- or pre-: which one do I use?

Both mean "before" and both come from Latin. The difference is in how they are used: ante- shows up in more formal, specific words, while pre- is the one most used today to build new words. For everyday speaking, pre- will work almost every time. Some words exist in both versions with the same meaning.

How it is used

Attaches to formal nouns and adjectives:

  • ante- + temporal term
    cedent → antecedentbellum → antebellumnatal → antenataldiluvian → antediluvian
  • ante- + space/position
    room → anteroomchamber → antechamberpendium → antependiummeridiem → ante meridiem (a.m.)

Pronunciation: /ˈænti/. "Ante meridiem" (a.m.) = before noon. Do not confuse with "anti-" (= against), which is pronounced identically but has a completely different meaning.

How it is pronounced

ante-/ˈænti/

Tap the button to hear how the prefix sounds. Each word in the table has its own audio.

Examples

  • cedentantecedentIn "The dog wagged its tail," "dog" is the antecedent of "its."
  • roomanteroomPatients waited in the anteroom until their name was called.
  • natalantenatalShe attended all her antenatal check-ups throughout her pregnancy.
  • bellumantebellumThe antebellum South relied entirely on enslaved labour for its economy.
  • chamberantechamberVisitors waited in the antechamber while the king met his advisers.
  • diluvianantediluvianHis antediluvian views on gender were out of step with modern reality.
  • meridiemante meridiemThe meeting was at nine ante meridiem — earlier than anyone wanted.

Common mistakes

ante- and anti- are the same prefix
ante- = "before/in front of" (temporal or spatial); anti- = "against" (opposition)

"Ante-" (from Latin "ante" = before/in front) and "anti-" (from Greek "anti" = against) are completely different in meaning, though they look and sound similar. "Antenatal" = before birth. "Antiviral" = against viruses. They cannot be interchanged.

antediluvian = simply very old
antediluvian = literally "before the biblical flood"; figuratively, so old-fashioned as to be absurd or comically outdated

"Antediluvian" (ante- = before + diluvian = the flood/deluge) literally refers to the period before the biblical Flood. In figurative use, it has a strong humorous or dismissive tone: something antediluvian is not just old but so obsolete as to be laughable. "His antediluvian views on technology" = comically behind the times.

A trick to remember it

Picture a line of people: "ante" is whoever stands right in front of you. antecedent, antenatal.

Practise what you learned

Exercise 1 · Form the word

Patients were seen in the ___ and asked to wait there until their name was called for the appointment.

Hint: ante- + room = ?

Exercise 2 · Pick the right one

"The senator's ___ views on gender were widely ridiculed as completely out of step with modern reality."

Exercise 3 · Pick the right one

What is the key difference between "ante-" and "anti-" in English?

Frequently asked questions

What does the prefix ante- mean in English?

The prefix ante- signals before or in front of: antecedent, anteroom, antenatal, antebellum, antediluvian.

How do you pronounce ante-?

The prefix ante- is pronounced /ˈænti/. For example, "antecedent".

Can you give an example of a word with ante-?

"cedent" becomes "antecedent". It is a typical example of the ante- prefix.

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