predecessor
[ pred-uh-ses-er, pred-uh-ses-er or, esp. British, pree-duh-ses-er ]
/ ˈprɛd əˌsɛs ər, ˌprɛd əˈsɛs ər or, esp. British, ˈpri dəˌsɛs ər /
noun
a person who precedes another in an office, position, etc.
something succeeded or replaced by something else: The new monument in the park is more beautiful than its predecessor.
Archaic. an ancestor; forefather.
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RELATED WORDS
ancestor, forebear, antecedent, precursor, prior, forerunner, prototype, former, previous, antecessor
Nearby words
- predator,
- predatory,
- predatory pricing,
- predawn,
- predecease,
- predecidual,
- predella,
- predentin,
- predeposit,
- predesignate
Origin of predecessor
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019
Examples from the Web for predecessor
predecessor
/ (ˈpriːdɪˌsɛsə) /
noun
a person who precedes another, as in an office
something that precedes something else
an ancestor; forefather
Word Origin for predecessor
C14: via Old French from Late Latin praedēcessor, from prae before + dēcēdere to go away, from dē away + cēdere to go
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
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predecessor
late 14c., "one who has held an office or position before the present holder," from Old French predecesseor "forebear" and directly from Late Latin praedecessorem (nominative praedecessor), from Latin prae "before" (see pre-) + decessor "retiring official," from decess-, past participle stem of decedere "go away," also "die" (see decease (n.)). Meaning "ancestor, forefather" is recorded from c.1400.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper