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 Boise’s new airport director, the city’s highest-paying position, won’t be raking in quite as much money as her predecessor. — Idaho Statesman, 28 Oct. 2026 The current Jonathan was born in 2023, and took the reigns as working live mascot from his predecessor Jonathan XIV the following year. — Kels Dayton, Hartford Courant, 28 Oct. 2026 Despite reports of a new Kaws x Air Jordan 4 Retro SP collaboration, it’s not yet been confirmed if the 2027 iteration will feature the same design and detailing as its 2017 predecessors. — Riley Jones, Footwear News, 28 Oct. 2026 Similar to its predecessor, the M6 MacBook Pro also offers a Liquid Retina XDR display with a nano-texture option, as well as a 12MP Center Stage camera. — Emma Roth, The Verge, 28 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for predecessor

Recent Examples of Synonyms for predecessor

Noun

He is revered in the Christian church as the forerunner of Jesus.

— Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 30 Oct. 2026
Koslow’s screen career began in 1976 as the writer of the film Lifeguard, a ’70s-era Baywatch forerunner starring a hunky Sam Elliott and Anne Archer.

— Tom Tapp, Deadline, 19 Oct. 2026

Definition of forerunner

Noun

According to family history, DaCosta Levy’s family lineage traced to Portugal, where his ancestors had been mariners — almost certainly Sephardic Jews who scattered across the Atlantic world after the Inquisition.

— Zachary Kranc, Sun Sentinel, 27 Oct. 2026
Government officials previously said that these 11 families split from a common male-line ancestor some 600 years ago, and are now at least 36 degrees of kinship from Naruhito.

— Chad de Guzman, Time, 26 Oct. 2026

Definition of ancestor

Noun

To fix the chemical interference, the research team added a decoupling modulator molecule featuring ammonium ions, iodide ions, and two sulfonate groups to the precursor solution.

— Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 26 Oct. 2026
This notorious commercial entity, a precursor of the global corporations of today and big enough to command its own army, ruthlessly exploited foreign resources, human and material.

— Rebecca Mead, New Yorker, 26 Oct. 2026

Definition of precursor

Browse Nearby Words

predeceasing

predecessor

predecessors

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Style

“Predecessor.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/predecessor. Accessed 1 Nov. 2026.

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Synonyms of predecessor

noun

Example Sentences

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