predecessor
Americannoun
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a person who precedes another in an office, position, etc.
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something succeeded or replaced by something else.
The new monument in the park is more beautiful than its predecessor.
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Archaic. an ancestor; forefather.
noun
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a person who precedes another, as in an office
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something that precedes something else
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an ancestor; forefather
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
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Nash, who has previously worked alongside the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight based at RAF Coningsby in Lincolnshire, and played lacrosse for England at junior and senior level, paid tribute to her predecessor.
From BBC
His vision was for a company that would "do bigger things that are more expensive, and have more ambition, and are bolder" than its predecessor.
From BBC
He can, in certain circumstances, strong-arm the world into realigning with his interests while sidestepping the tripwires that his predecessors worried would bring them down.
From Barron's
He can, in certain circumstances, strong-arm the world into realigning with his interests while sidestepping the tripwires that his predecessors worried would bring them down.
From Barron's
However, the second entry wasn’t particularly well-received by critics and its worldwide box office fell well short of its predecessor.
From Los Angeles Times
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
