PREDECESSOR Synonyms: 25 Similar and Opposite Words

predecessor

noun

ˈpre-də-ˌse-sər

Definition of predecessor

as in forerunner

something belonging to an earlier time from which something else was later developed the once-ubiquitous typewriter was the predecessor of today's electronic keyboard

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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 predecessor Under president of baseball operations Nick Krall and his predecessor, Dick Williams, the Reds have prioritized drafting and developing pitching. — C. Trent Rosecrans, New York Times, 17 July 2026 The time jump Some sequels pick up immediately after their predecessor left off. — Richard Edwards, Space.com, 17 July 2026 Prior to the conflict in the Middle East, the president oversaw consistently lower costs compared with his predecessor. — Claire Malon, Chicago Tribune, 17 July 2026 The predecessor district was represented for decades by a Black member of Congress. — Anthony Man, Sun Sentinel, 17 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for predecessor

Recent Examples of Synonyms for predecessor

Noun

The city had a history of assimilating such yearners, most notably Madonna, Swift’s forerunner and her own Middle American transplant success story.

— Steven Zeitchik, HollywoodReporter, 3 July 2026
The group, which includes Chrysler, Fiat, Peugeot and Citroen, is becoming a forerunner in the promising progress of a new type of vehicle battery.

— New Atlas, New Atlas, 15 June 2026

Definition of forerunner

Noun

And discovering Grace Paley’s work was like discovering an ancestor.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 13 July 2026
In between Amos’s lines, In Times of Dragons is a saga of survival introducing different muses along the way, from a real-life ancestor, a martyr who fell in love with Jesus, and a group of rugged women.

— Tina Eves, SPIN, 13 July 2026

Definition of ancestor

Noun

For example, a single enrichment run could routinely produce ytterbium-176, the precursor used to manufacture lutetium-177 (Lu-177).

— Georgina Jedikovska, Interesting Engineering, 15 July 2026
The faction’s precursors backed ʿAlī ibn Abī Ṭālib, Muhammad’s son-in-law and cousin, immediately after Muhammad’s death in 632.

— Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 13 July 2026

Definition of precursor

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predeceasing

predecessor

predecessors

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Style

“Predecessor.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/predecessor. Accessed 20 Jul. 2026.

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Synonyms of predecessor

noun

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