predecessor

noun

pre·​de·​ces·​sor ˈpre-də-ˌse-sər 

ˈprē-;

ˌpre-də-ˈse-,

ˌprē- 

1

: one that precedes

especially : a person who has previously occupied a position or office to which another has succeeded

2

archaic : ancestor

Synonyms

• ancestor
• antecedent
• archetype
• daddy
• foregoer
• forerunner
• granddaddy
• grandaddy
• precursor
• prototype

Examples of predecessor in a Sentence

Today's computers are much faster than their predecessors were.

the once-ubiquitous typewriter was the predecessor of today's electronic keyboard

Recent Examples on the Web

Trump repeated that Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s predecessor and federal prosecutors investigated him and declined to prosecute. —Bart Jansen, USA TODAY, 22 Apr. 2024

Is Dark Matter that different from immediate predecessors Backspacer, Lightning Bolt, and Gigaton? —Morgan Enos, SPIN, 19 Apr. 2024

The two men previously worked together at the New York attorney general’s office under Ms. James’s predecessor, and Mr. Colangelo’s appointment came as Mr. Bragg ramped up his investigation into Mr. Trump’s role in hush money payments made in the 2016 election. —Linda Qiu, New York Times, 17 Apr. 2024

On the card’s lower left, the dawn of the automobile age is represented by a Ford Model S (the predecessor to the Model T). —Randy Mason, Kansas City Star, 17 Apr. 2024

The machine also had cassette tape drives for storage, predecessors of disk drives. —IEEE Spectrum, 16 Apr. 2024

The camera shoots higher-resolution footage than its predecessor and nearest competitor, has a longer-lasting battery, employs an easier-to-use set of menus, pairs with a powerful mobile app, and is rugged enough to take on challenging action scenes, whether that's atop a mountain or under the sea. —Eric Zeman, PCMAG, 16 Apr. 2024

Biden has honored Yoon with a state visit and picked Kishida’s predecessor, Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga, as the first face-to-face foreign leader visit of his presidency. —Aamer Madhani, Fortune Asia, 10 Apr. 2024

Eslami’s predecessor at the AEOI, Ali Akbar Salehi, summarized the state of affairs more colorfully in a February interview, likening Iran’s nuclear program to a collection of automobile parts that only need to be assembled. —Joby Warrick, Washington Post, 10 Apr. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle English predecessour, from Anglo-French predecessur, from Late Latin praedecessor, from Latin prae- pre- + decessor retiring governor, from decedere to depart, retire from office — more at decease

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

predecessor

noun

pre·​de·​ces·​sor ˈpred-ə-ˌses-ər  ˈprēd- 

: one that precedes

especially : a person who has held a position or office before another

Etymology

Middle English predecessour "predecessor," from early French predecesseur (same meaning), from Latin praedecessor "one that goes before," from prae- "before, pre-," and decessor "retiring governor," from decedere "to depart," from de- "from" and cedere "to go, go away" — related to ancestor, concede