predecessor

noun

Definition of predecessornext
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

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Thesaurus Entries Near predecessor

predeceasing

predecessor

predecessors

See More Nearby Entries 

Cite this Entry

“Predecessor.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/predecessor. Accessed 2 Dec. 2023.

Copy Citation

Share

More from Merriam-Webster on predecessor

Nglish: Translation of predecessor for Spanish Speakers

Britannica English: Translation of predecessor for Arabic Speakers

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Games & Quizzes

Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Word Game You can make only 12 words. Pick the best ones!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
Missing Letter A crossword with a twist
winning words from the national spelling bee logo
Spelling Bee Quiz Can you outdo past winners of the National Spelli...