precursor
noun
a person or thing that precedes, as in a job, a method, etc.; predecessor.
precursors
-
pluralof precursor.plural
The grammatical form denoting more than one person, place, thing, or idea.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Directed by Henry Winkler and co-starring Lee Majors as Mountain Dan, it may be one of the earliest precursors to the Hallmark holiday-style movies.
From Salon ● Aug. 26, 2026
The rover has found chemical traces left behind by this wetter period, including carbon-based molecules believed to be precursors to RNA and DNA, two nucleic acids that carry genetic information.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 1, 2026
“The use of the books at issue to train Claude and its precursors was exceedingly transformative and was a fair use,” Alsup noted in his earlier judgment.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 23, 2026
The White House document claimed they had discussed Chinese investment in U.S. industries, purchases of U.S. oil and agricultural products, and ending the flow of fentanyl precursors into the U.S.
From Slate ● May 16, 2026
What hand, Darwin asked, had guided the creation of such different varieties of finches on those distant volcanic islands or made small armadillos out of giant precursors on the plains of South America?
From "The Gene" by Siddhartha Mukherjee
