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

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