predecessor

American  

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

noun

• predecessors
  plural

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.

---

predecessor British  

/ ˈpriːdɪˌsɛsə /

noun

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

2. something that precedes something else

3. an ancestor; forefather

---

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• predecessors
  plural

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

See Examples For:

predecessor predecessors

Since the death of his father and predecessor in the opening strike of the war, Iran’s Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei has positioned his forces for a bigger fight.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 28, 2026

Dolly’s original investment in Silver Dollar City, the park’s predecessor, was purely to give back to the community and support jobs in the area.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 26, 2026

Like his predecessor Justin Trudeau, Carney saw Trump’s threats against Canada’s sovereignty as genuine.

From Salon ● Aug. 25, 2026

Warsh is more tight-lipped than his predecessor, Jerome Powell, and last week’s moves by the Treasury Department has made the situation even more uncertain for market-watchers.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 23, 2026

Then when her ready cash was gone, had come Who Flung to denounce his predecessor as a scoundrel and took up around the house himself.

From "Their Eyes Were Watching God" by Zora Neale Hurston

I have already outlived my male predecessors by about six years — the oldest died at 78 — and I suspect I may not have many years left.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 25, 2026

Unlike many of his prime ministerial predecessors, MacDonald - the son of a farm labourer and housemaid - was not independently wealthy and had less money to furnish Downing Street.

From BBC ● Aug. 21, 2026

Most of Gen. Munir’s predecessors were alumni of the prestigious Pakistan Military Academy near Abbottabad.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 12, 2026

Gen Zers are generally not the biggest creatures of the night and studies show they drink much less than their predecessors.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 11, 2026

Like its Soviet predecessors, the Viking landing maneuver involved an ablation shield, a parachute and retro-rockets.

From "Cosmos" by Carl Sagan

Related Words

• ancestor
• forebear