predecessor

American  

[pred-uh-ses-er, pred-uh-ses-er, pree-duh-ses-er] / ˈprɛd əˌsɛs ər, ˌprɛd əˈsɛs ər, ˈpri dəˌsɛs ər /

noun

1. a person who precedes another in an office, position, etc.

2. something succeeded or replaced by something else.

   The new monument in the park is more beautiful than its predecessor.

3. Archaic. an ancestor; forefather.

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predecessor British  

/ ˈpriːdɪˌsɛsə /

noun

1. a person who precedes another, as in an office

2. something that precedes something else

3. an ancestor; forefather

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Etymology

Origin of predecessor

First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English predecessour, from Anglo-French, from Late Latin praedēcessor, from Latin prae- pre- + dēcessor “retiring official” (equivalent to dēcēd(ere) “to withdraw” + -tor -tor; see de-, cede)

Explanation

A predecessor is something that came before the current version. The person you replaced at work is your predecessor, just like Pac Man is the predecessor of modern video games. If you break the word predecessor down to its Latin roots, you get pre, meaning "beforehand," and decessor, which means "retiring officer." So that's how we get to our definition of "someone who has held an office or position before the present holder." But predecessors aren't just found in the business world: these days predecessors include our ancestors, earlier car models, and all kinds of other forerunners.

Example Sentences

Predecessor Pearson had been sacked despite overseeing seven wins and one draw in their final 10 games to achieve Premier League survival.

From BBC • Aug. 6, 2025

Predecessor Cherie Berry — a Republican like Dobson — pioneered the elevator inspection certificate photo, likely helping her at election time for nearly two decades.

From Seattle Times • Oct. 31, 2023

Predecessor Art Peck left after a scrapped plan to spin off Old Navy and failing to reignite sales growth.

From Washington Post • Jul. 12, 2022

Predecessor Mike Leach, the winningest coach in school history, was fired following allegations that he mistreated Adam James when the son of former SMU star Craig James had a concussion.

From Washington Times • Apr. 12, 2018

This Minister was recall’d in the first Year of the Pontificate of Clement XII. when his Holiness was so inclement as to revoke all that his Predecessor had granted.

From The Memoirs of Charles-Lewis, Baron de Pollnitz, Volume II Being the Observations He Made in His Late Travels From Prussia thro' Germany, Italy, France, Flanders, Holland, England, &C. in Letters to His Friend. Discovering Not Only the Present State of the Chief Cities and Towns; but the Characters of the Principal Persons at the Several Courts. by P?llnitz, Karl Ludwig von

Related Words

• ancestor
• forebear