predecessor
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predecessor
- /ˈpɹiːdɪsɛsə(ɹ)/ UK
- /ˈpɹiːdɪsɛsɚ/ Canada
- /ˈpɹɛd.ə.sɛs.ɚ/ US
- /ˈpɹi.də.sɛs.ɚ/ US
Where it comes from
From Middle English predecessour, from Old French predecesseor (“forebear”), from Late Latin praedēcessor, from Latin prae- (“pre-”) + Latin dēcessor (“retiring officer”), from Latin dēcēdō (“to retire, to die”) (English decease).
noun predecessors · prædecessor · predecessour
-
One who precedes; one who has preceded another in any state, position, office, etc.; one whom another follows or comes after, in any office or position.
I thought about my predecessor, who had died of drink and smoke; and I could have wished he had been so good as to live, and not bother me with his decease.
Similar: antecessor, ancestor · Opposite: successor
-
A model or type of machinery or device which precedes the current (or later) one. Usually used to describe an earlier, outdated model.
The steam engine was the predecessor of diesel and electric locomotives.
Opposite: successor
- A vertex having a directed path to another vertex
Similar: forerunner, foreganger, ancestor, antecessor, precursor, ancient, elder, precessor, predecessor · Opposite: successor
Thesaurus
Closest in meaning: precedent, succession, preceding, successor, previous, antecedent, earlier, former, prelude, precursor, representative, speaker, imprest, pioneer, inherit, front-runner
noun
Similar: forerunner, foreganger, ancestor, antecessor, precursor, ancient, elder, precessor, predecessor · Opposite: successor
Translations
Every language
noun one who precedes
| Español | predecesor |
|---|---|
| 한국어 | 전임자 jeonimja |
| 日本語 | 前任者 zenninsha |
| 中文 | 前任 qiánrèn, 前任者 qiánrènzhě |
| हिन्दी | पूर्ववर्ती pūrvavartī, पूर्वज pūrvaj |
| Português | predecessor, antecessor |
| Français | prédécesseur, prédécesseuse, prédécessrice |
| Deutsch | Vorgänger, Vorgängerin |
| Italiano | predecessore, antecessore |
| Ελληνικά | προκάτοχος prokátochos |
| Русский | предше́ственник predšéstvennik, предше́ственница predšéstvennica |
noun model or type which precedes
| Español | predecesor |
|---|---|
| 日本語 | 前機種 zenkishu |
| हिन्दी | पूर्ववर्ती pūrvavartī |
| Português | predecessor |
| Français | précédent |
| Deutsch | Vorläufer |
| Italiano | precedente |
| Русский | предше́ственник predšéstvennik, предше́ственница predšéstvennica |
Talk about this word "predecessor." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/predecessor. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026. predecessor. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/predecessor "predecessor." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/predecessor.Cite this
@misc{predecessor_2026,
title = {predecessor},
howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
year = {2026},
url = {https://micwyn.com/word/predecessor},
urldate = {2026-11-06}
}
