Synonyms of predecessors

predecessors

noun

plural of predecessor

as in forerunners

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

• forerunners
• ancestors
• precursors
• prototypes
• antecedents
• originals
• granddaddies
• archetypes
• originators
• models
• mothers
• daddies
• foregoers
• fathers
• sires

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• descendants
• derivatives
• sons
• daughters
• offshoots
• outgrowths
• by-products
• spin-offs

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of predecessors

Given the Hague-worthy crimes of some of her predecessors, Hunter seems keen to get out ahead of the jokes. — Lily Goldberg, Pitchfork, 3 Aug. 2026

Rochlin, who used to work in mosquito control, pointed out that his predecessors in New York were chiefly concerned with malaria. — Sarah Zhang, The Atlantic, 3 Aug. 2026

Like his four immediate predecessors, Glasner has sung the praises of the former Manchester City player, who continues to impress on the training ground. — Paul Taylor, New York Times, 1 Aug. 2026

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

My perspectives on the poem have been informed and shaped by the work of many brilliant colleagues and predecessors, including those in this volume and many more. — Emma Specter, Vogue, 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

His government was steadfast in the face of multiple protests, quick to curb dissent, and, unlike its predecessors, did not ax ministers in times of crisis. — Aakash Hassan, Christian Science Monitor, 30 July 2026