Synonym Chooser

How is the word precursor distinct from other similar nouns?

Some common synonyms of precursor are forerunner, harbinger, and herald. While all these words mean "one that goes before or announces the coming of another," precursor applies to a person or thing paving the way for the success or accomplishment of another.

18th century poets like Burns were precursors of the Romantics

In what contexts can forerunner take the place of precursor?

The words forerunner and precursor are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, forerunner is applicable to anything that serves as a sign or presage.

the blockade was the forerunner of war

How are the words harbinger and herald related as synonyms of precursor?

Harbinger and herald both apply, chiefly figuratively, to one that proclaims or announces the coming or arrival of a notable event.

their early victory was the harbinger of a winning season
the herald of a new age in medicine

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 precursor The move is a precursor to plans to centralize communications in its headquarters and eliminate those at its nine space centers, including Kennedy Space Center, according to Trump’s proposed 2026 budget. Richard Tribou, The Orlando Sentinel, 13 June 2025 This program was a vital precursor to the 2003 PEPFAR (The U.S. President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief) global initiative. Time, 11 June 2025 By World Health Organization (WHO) standards established in 1994, this designates a person as having osteopenia — often a precursor to osteoporosis. Jia H. Jung, Mercury News, 4 June 2025 Leverton said trends like western, cottagecore, Americana and conservative styles of dress, in general, were precursors to where things were the U.S. presidential election was heading last year. Angela Velasquez, Sourcing Journal, 30 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for precursor
Recent Examples of Synonyms for precursor
Noun
  • This is, in part, explained by the institutional memory of the competition’s forerunner — the Intercontinental Cup — and the legendary battles of a bygone era.
    James Horncastle, New York Times, 19 June 2025
  • Another forerunner of today’s scene is Ansedonia, a hillside community of upscale homes near Capalbio that in the 1960s became popular with creative types from the Italian capital.
    Lee Marshall, Travel + Leisure, 15 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • As Charles Handy explained in The Age of Paradox, modern life forces us to navigate complexities our ancestors never faced, such as the tension between efficiency and humanity or between individual freedom and collective responsibility.
    Shane Enete, Forbes.com, 20 June 2025
  • Throughout the middle passage, it has been said that our ancestors wove familiar items such as beads, shells, or even seeds and grains from home into their braids, to keep with them along their journeys.
    Essence, Essence, 19 June 2025
Noun
  • In 2012, the Wythe was a harbinger of things to come in Williamsburg.
    Katherine LaGrave, AFAR Media, 26 June 2025
  • Thus, the early activity in the Pacific isn't likely a harbinger of storms to come in the Atlantic.
    Doyle Rice, USA Today, 22 June 2025
Noun
  • This means funding more memory clinics, training primary care providers to recognize dementia symptoms — and ensuring that services are affordable and accessible to all.
    Taylor Penn-Vessels, Baltimore Sun, 18 June 2025
  • These methods often help with symptoms but don’t eliminate the root cause—the mites themselves.
    Julie Loffredi, Forbes.com, 18 June 2025
Noun
  • Brian Wilson’s death on Wednesday at the age of 82 heralds an end to one idea of Southern California — as the temperate paradise of ascendant Americana.
    August Brown, Los Angeles Times, 11 June 2025
  • Budget cuts herald further losses of staff and programs.
    Bushraa Khatib, Baltimore Sun, 10 June 2025
Noun
  • According to celebrities, there are already signs of the silhouettes will reign supreme.
    Christian Allaire, Vogue, 16 June 2025
  • Another positive sign is plans to shrink mall revenue penetration to less than 30% of revenues from around 35% currently in North America and move to more productive off-mall locations and e-commerce channels.
    Pamela N. Danziger, Forbes.com, 16 June 2025
Noun
  • Also on deck for Lionsgate are Good Fortune starring Keanu Reeves as a meddlesome angel along with Seth Rogen and Aziz Ansar and Hunger Games helmer Francis Lawrence’s Stephen King adaptation, The Long Walk.
    Nancy Tartaglione, Deadline, 17 June 2025
  • Smart angels outside Silicon Valley would do better to avoid such instruments.
    Dileep Rao, Forbes.com, 17 June 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Precursor.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/precursor. Accessed 30 Jun. 2025.

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