antevenient
|an-te-vi-ni-ent|
🇺🇸
/ˌæn.təˈviːniənt/
🇬🇧
/ˌæn.tɪˈviːniənt/
coming before
Etymology
'antevenient' originates from Latin, specifically the present participle of 'antevenire', where 'ante-' meant 'before' and 'venire' meant 'to come'.
'antevenire' (Latin) produced the participial form 'anteveniens' in Medieval/Church Latin, and this form was borrowed into English as 'antevenient' (chiefly in theological and scholarly contexts).
Initially it meant 'coming before' in a general temporal sense; over time it retained that sense but also took on a specialized theological meaning referring to grace or influence that precedes a human response.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Adjective 1
coming before; preceding; prior to something in time or order.
The antevenient events set the stage for the later reforms.
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Adjective 2
in theological usage, relating to or describing grace or influence that comes before a person's decision (e.g., 'antevenient grace' that enables a response to God).
Arminians often speak of antevenient grace as enabling the will to respond to God's offer.
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Last updated: 2025/08/23 12:26