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 As this report explained, this is largely thanks to its uncompromising quality standards and its insistence that each of its attractions outdoes its predecessors. — Caroline Reid, Forbes.com, 31 July 2026 His predecessor, Brent Lang, will be leaving Variety to become editor-in-chief of IndieWire. — William Earl, Variety, 31 July 2026 Still, there are key differences between the attacks at Charleston and Buffalo and their Reconstruction predecessors. — Jacob Ware, The Conversation, 31 July 2026 While the 1991 film definitively kills Max Cady off, the finale for Antosca’s series leaves him alive and presumably headed back to jail, one of the biggest changes between the show and its cinematic predecessors. — Jim Hemphill, IndieWire, 31 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for predecessor

Recent Examples of Synonyms for predecessor

Noun

Margaret and Alice are the forerunners of Lucy and Ethel, and Shakespeare’s comedy, written expressly to entertain, gives us a sense of what an Elizabethan-era situation comedy might look like.

— Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 23 July 2026
One of the forerunners today in Madeira and the Azores is António Maçanita from Azores Wine Company.

— Forbes.com, Forbes.com, 20 July 2026

Definition of forerunner

Noun

At some point in the mid-1850s, the river Padma suddenly carved a new path through the village of his ancestors in modern-day Bangladesh, flooding their homes and scattering them across the Indian subcontinent.

— Robert Rubsam, The Atlantic, 20 July 2026
All across the United States, federal soldiers rounded up our Native American ancestors like cattle, pushing them into prison camps, many of which later became reservations.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 20 July 2026

Definition of ancestor

Noun

And their precursor is the legendary berry cake from Phoenix Bakery in Chinatown.

— Carolynn Carreño, Los Angeles Times, 29 July 2026
This seems like a logical precursor to a fund of funds and/or exchange product that allows for more real-time trading, akin to ETFs on public markets.

— Alexander S. Blume, Forbes.com, 28 July 2026

Definition of precursor

Browse Nearby Words

predeceasing

predecessor

predecessors

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“Predecessor.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/predecessor. Accessed 4 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of predecessor

noun

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