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

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