predecessor

[pred-uh-ses-er, pred-uh-ses-er or, esp. British, pree-duh-ses-er]

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR predecessor ON THESAURUS.COM

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.

Nearby words

Origin of predecessor

1250–1300; Middle English predecessour < Anglo-French < Late Latin praedēcessor, equivalent to Latin prae- pre- + dēcessor retiring official, itself equivalent to dēced-, variant stem of dēcēdere to withdraw (dē- de- + cēdere to yield; see cede) + -tor -tor, with dt > ss

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for predecessor

Under the current president and his predecessor, Jett notes, the ambassadorship of Belize has gone to college roommates.
U.S. Embassies Have Always Been for Sale|William O’Connor|January 2, 2015|DAILY BEAST
Austin Mahone, the teenage pop star with a more wholesome image than his predecessor Justin Bieber wants to tell you his story.
Portrait of the Austin Mahone as a Teen Idol|William O’Connor|December 10, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The 247 was the first airplane really to define the form of a modern airliner, flying faster and higher than any predecessor.
Flying Coach Is the New Hell: How Airlines Engineer You Out of Room|Clive Irving|November 25, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Scott says he last spoke to his predecessor a few days ago, although he never explicitly gave his blessing.
Democratic Africa Gets Its First White Leader|Nico Hines|October 29, 2014|DAILY BEAST

Now Obama needs his predecessor to help prevent a solid Republican Congress from hassling him all the way to January 20, 2017.
The Only Way for Democrats to Win|Jonathan Alter|October 24, 2014|DAILY BEAST
When I compare the position of the reader of to-day with that of his predecessor of the sixteenth century.
Library Of The World's Best Literature, Ancient And Modern, Vol 3|Various
He was named after the Presbyterian minister who was his father's predecessor.
The Cleveland Era|Henry Jones Ford
The Elector was as silent as his predecessor, and quickly produced a bottle of Steinberg.
Vivian Grey|Earl of Beaconsfield, Benjamin Disraeli
Yes, fair and gentle one, that is just why even you go to the Thames as your predecessor went to the Colosseum.
Harvard Stories|Waldron Kintzing Post
He was nephew and son-in-law to his predecessor on the throne, Antoninus Pius.
The Voice of Science in Nineteenth-Century Literature|Various

British Dictionary definitions for predecessor

predecessor

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 Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for predecessor

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.