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antecessor

noun

Definition of antecessornext
as in predecessor

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of antecessor Like Homo antecessor, the Casablanca fossils have a mix of characteristics from Homo erectus, ourselves and our cousins. — CBS News, 8 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for antecessor
  1. predecessor
  2. ancestor
  3. progenitor
  4. grandfather
  5. forefather
  6. forebear
  7. forebearer
Noun
  • The new Ryan Field stands next door to the basketball arena and on the footprint of its eponymous, century-old predecessor.
    — Daniel Libit, Sportico.com, 25 Sep. 2026
  • Assistant City Manager Michael Jasso, who was Dignan’s predecessor, worked his last day with the city in March.
    — Jennah Pendleton, Sacbee.com, 25 Sep. 2026
Definition of predecessor
Noun
  • By remaining involved in the businesses their ancestors began, these families have preserved and expanded their wealth across multiple generations while also shaping the American business landscape.
    — Alex Gurley, PEOPLE, 30 Sep. 2026
  • John Spencer, at the time heir to the Spencer earldom and styled as Viscount Althorp, was two years older than Queen Elizabeth II and descended from a long line of ancestors who served the British crown.
    — Diego Parrado, Vanity Fair, 29 Sep. 2026
Definition of ancestor
Noun
  • One of those daughters was the magical Maria, progenitor of Sally, Gillian, Kylie, and Antonia’s bloodline.
    — Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 11 Sep. 2026
  • Somewhat surprisingly, the AI progenitor networks, tensor clouds, and evolutionary random forests mostly agreed that WHEEP-3’s advice was helpful, though their explanations for why could not be understood by most humans.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 9 Sep. 2026
Definition of progenitor
Noun
  • As a child, Chris Brown recalled his father and grandfather teaching him about how to ride and care for horses, which ultimately led him to his current career.
    — Anna Ortiz, Chicago Tribune, 24 Sep. 2026
  • Jean-Baptiste is the emotionally intuitive grandmother, while Lindo is the disciplined grandfather.
    — Borys Kit, HollywoodReporter, 23 Sep. 2026
Definition of grandfather
Noun
  • Many progressives and political experts cite Sanders, the Senate's only democratic socialist member, as the forefather of the movement that has toppled several longtime Democratic incumbents across the nation this year.
    — Phillip M. Bailey, USA Today, 16 Aug. 2026
  • Wulf pays overdue homage to an intellectual titan and forefather of linguistics and natural history.
    — Hamilton Cain, Time, 7 July 2026
Definition of forefather
Noun
  • Plant paid special attention to forebears and contemporaries.
    — Chris Willman, Variety, 17 Sep. 2026
  • Harking back to its Jurassic forbear, The End of Oak Street channels everyone's favorite '80s Amblin classics, but with a far more vicious bite.
    — Megan McCluskey, Time, 14 Aug. 2026
Definition of forebear
Noun
  • Mike Brown said the digital driver license is the forebearer of discriminating against the unvaccinated.
    — Bryan Schott, The Salt Lake Tribune, 8 Feb. 2022
  • If successful, The Mayflower Autonomous Ship, named in honor of its famous nautical forebearer and known as MAS for short, will be the first such trans-Atlantic voyage by an autonomous vessel.
    — Jeremy Kahn, Fortune, 27 Nov. 2021
Definition of forebearer

Browse Nearby Words

anteceding
antecessor
antecessors
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Cite this Entry

“Antecessor.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/antecessor. Accessed 1 Oct. 2026.

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