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 Could the next movie begin to make sense of its predecessor’s hilarious and confounding final minutes? — Justin Chang, New Yorker, 4 Sep. 2026 Courtesy Rockaway Film Festival The space certainly feels scrappier than the black-and-white photos of its predecessors. — Kat Chen, Condé Nast Traveler, 4 Sep. 2026 In 2006, Joseph pursued ballot measures that would have amended Proposition 103 amid an effort by John Garamendi, the insurance commissioner at the time, to tighten the ZIP code regulations established by his predecessor. — Los Angeles Times, 4 Sep. 2026 Donahoe will replace his predecessor from Stanford, Bernard Muir. — Sportico Staff, Sportico.com, 4 Sep. 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

The group includes people whose ancestors come from Spain, Mexico, the Caribbean and Central and South America.

— ABC News, ABC News, 15 Sep. 2026
The Maori tell a story about how a godwit showed their ancestors the way from their ancient homeland of Hawaiki to New Zealand, more than a thousand miles away.

— Rivka Galchen, New Yorker, 14 Sep. 2026

Definition of ancestor

Noun

Amid rising geopolitical tensions and a murky economic outlook, anxiety is clocking into work, producing false positives in productivity that look like engagement, but are actually a precursor to costly attrition and reputation loss.

— Stacey Zolt Hara, Fortune, 14 Sep. 2026
Nonetheless, Alford’s departure could be interpreted as a potential precursor to Norvell’s eventual replacement.

— Daniel Libit, Sportico.com, 14 Sep. 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 16 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of predecessor

noun

Example Sentences

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