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 The last few weeks have shown his governing style and a remarkable run of papal decision-making where Leo has set the agenda, rather than merely fulfill the appointments set by his predecessor. — Nicole Winfield, Los Angeles Times, 5 July 2026 Part of what sets ERNEST apart from its predecessors are its novel wheels and active suspension system. — Josh Dinner, Space.com, 5 July 2026 Rutte’s predecessor, Stoltenberg, has written in his memoir about chairing a 2018 summit that Trump nearly upended. — Lorne Cook, Fortune, 5 July 2026 On Friday the coffin was laid in state in the great prayer hall built to honour his predecessor, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini. — Reuters, USA Today, 4 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

This type of eating pattern mimics the pattern of our ancestors, which is directly connected with our innate metabolism.

— Melissa Rudy, FOXNews.com, 6 July 2026
Gendron said his ancestors were among the first outsiders to settle the island in the 1700s, when three brothers, fur traders all, left Canada and followed the Mississippi south.

— Andrew Carter, Chicago Tribune, 5 July 2026

Definition of ancestor

Noun

Proxima is developing stellarator technology, one of a handful of approaches to fusion, and hopes to have its fusion demonstrator — a proof-of-concept precursor to a commercial power plant — up and running in the early 2030s.

— Kai Nicol-Schwarz, CNBC, 7 July 2026
Serotonin is a precursor for melatonin, a hormone that regulates your sleep-wake cycleSince.

— Jillian Kubala, Health, 7 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 11 Jul. 2026.

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Synonyms of predecessor

noun

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