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; de-, cede )

Example Sentences

Demand for OpenAI’s Codex exploded this winter when the company introduced its latest model, which has far superior coding abilities than its predecessors.

From The Wall Street Journal

In the 1960s, the Department of Defense developed the internet’s predecessor, ARPAnet, to help keep military and government computers secure.

From Los Angeles Times

The cable project created friction between Kast and his left-wing predecessor Gabriel Boric in the final days of Boric's presidency.

From Barron's

If he hadn’t acted, his successor would have been left with an even more dangerous choice than his predecessors left him.

From The Wall Street Journal

From secret efforts to derail the German economy to ensuring U.S. and Western banks wouldn’t do business with their German counterparts, the predecessors to today’s financial sanctions were born.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• ancestor
• forebear