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 Design With its lid closed, the new MacBook Pro looks identical to its predecessor. — ArsTechnica, 6 Nov. 2026 The unfinished business of his predecessor in Argentina The late Pope Francis, the first Argentine pontiff, never made a visit to his home country, so Leo’s visit is one that is generating intense interest. — Christopher Lamb, CNN Money, 6 Nov. 2026 The company’s current CEO, David Joyner, announced the breakup with the same cocksure swagger his predecessor had employed in promoting his big idea. — Business Columnist, Los Angeles Times, 6 Nov. 2026 But Yamazaki’s new Godzilla Minus Zero doesn’t so much try to surpass its predecessor as to cap it like a protective bookend. — Stephanie Zacharek, Time, 6 Nov. 2026 See All Example Sentences for predecessor

Recent Examples of Synonyms for predecessor

Noun

The not unappealing gridded face is divided into much larger elements than Mies’ forerunner across the street.

— Edward Keegan, Chicago Tribune, 1 Nov. 2026
He is revered in the Christian church as the forerunner of Jesus.

— Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 30 Oct. 2026

Definition of forerunner

Noun

Throughout the region, remains of 5,500 ancestors that were displaced have been made available for return to the Tohono O’odham Nation, according to ProPublica’s NAGPRA database.

— Ryan Devereaux, ProPublica, 2 Nov. 2026
Today, this Chilean territory is essentially an open-air archaeological museum, with many of its enigmatic moai (representations of Polynesian ancestors) returned to their upright positions following seven decades of restoration.

— Mark Johanson, Condé Nast Traveler, 30 Oct. 2026

Definition of ancestor

Noun

People with Down syndrome carried an extra copy of the gene for the amyloid precursor protein.

— Manvir Singh, New Yorker, 2 Nov. 2026
The company says its indigo process uses soluble precursors that oxidize into insoluble pigment within the textile, avoiding the chemical reduction step used in conventional indigo dyeing.

— Alexandra Harrell, Footwear News, 30 Oct. 2026

Definition of precursor

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predeceasing

predecessor

predecessors

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“Predecessor.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/predecessor. Accessed 10 Nov. 2026.

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Synonyms of predecessor

noun

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