anaphoric

[ an-uh-fawr-ik, -for- ]

adjective

, Grammar.

1. referring back to or substituting for a preceding word or group of words:

   anaphoric reference.

anaphoric

/ ˌænəˈfɒrɪk /

adjective

1. of or relating to anaphorism

Derived Forms

• ˌanaˈphorically, adverb

Other Words From

• ana·phori·cal·ly adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of anaphoric¹

First recorded in 1910–15; anaphor(a) + -ic

Example Sentences

Ultimately, aMCI patients performed significantly worse than the control groups when producing sentences with "anaphoric coreference," the ones with ambiguity about the identity of the person referred to via a pronoun.

From Science Daily

The anaphoric “even,” the visceral sounds stitched into the syntax, the intimacy of the ending: It requires breath to read.

From New York Times

These rules also discourage unattended anaphoric pronouns and say that split infinitives should be rarely used.

From Nature

The pronoun is unstable, subject to anaphoric shifts.

From The Guardian

This pin could be moved each day so that the anaphoric clock kept step with the seasonal variation of the times of sunrise and sunset and the lengths of day and night.

From Project Gutenberg