Meaning & use
Anaphor
Last updated
In linguistics, a word or phrase that refers back to another word or phrase used earlier in a sentence or text.
See it in a sentence
In the sentence 'Maria lost her keys,' the word 'her' functions as an anaphor referring to Maria.
Linguists study how anaphors like pronouns maintain coherence across a text.
A note on using this word
An anaphor points backward to its antecedent, while a cataphor points forward to a term introduced later.
Words with an opposite meaning
cataphor
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “Anaphor”, then compare your use with the examples above.
Your draft stays on this page and is not sent anywhere.