Synonyms of predecessor

predecessor

noun

ˈpre-də-ˌse-sər 

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

• forerunner
• ancestor
• precursor
• prototype
• original
• antecedent
• granddaddy
• archetype
• daddy
• originator
• model
• mother
• foregoer
• father
• sire

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• descendant
• derivative
• son
• offshoot
• daughter
• outgrowth
• by-product
• spin-off

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of predecessor

Design With its lid closed, the new MacBook Pro looks identical to its predecessor. — ArsTechnica, 6 Nov. 2026

The unfinished business of his predecessor in Argentina The late Pope Francis, the first Argentine pontiff, never made a visit to his home country, so Leo’s visit is one that is generating intense interest. — Christopher Lamb, CNN Money, 6 Nov. 2026

The company’s current CEO, David Joyner, announced the breakup with the same cocksure swagger his predecessor had employed in promoting his big idea. — Business Columnist, Los Angeles Times, 6 Nov. 2026

But Yamazaki’s new Godzilla Minus Zero doesn’t so much try to surpass its predecessor as to cap it like a protective bookend. — Stephanie Zacharek, Time, 6 Nov. 2026