predecessor

• POS: Noun
• HYPHEN: pred=e=ces=sor

CIDE DICTIONARY

predecessor, n. [L. praedecessor; prae before + decessor one who withdraws from the province he has governed, a retiring officer (with reference to his successor), a predecessor, fr. decedere: cf. F. prédécesseur. See Decease.].

 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.  [1913 Webster]
"A prince who was as watchful as his predecessor had been over the interests of the state."  [1913 Webster]

OXFORD DICTIONARY

predecessor, n.
1 a former holder of an office or position with respect to a later holder (my immediate predecessor).
2 an ancestor.
3 a thing to which another has succeeded (the new plan will share the fate of its predecessor).

Etymology

ME f. OF predecesseur f. LL praedecessor (as PRAE-, decessor retiring officer, as DECEASE)

THESAURUS

predecessor

ancestor, ancestors, announcer, antecedent, antecedents, ascendants, avant-garde, bellwether, buccinator, bushwhacker, elders, explorer, fathers, forebear, forebears, forefather, forefathers, foregoer, forerunner, front runner, frontiersman, fugleman, grandfathers, grandparents, groundbreaker, guide, harbinger, herald, innovator, lead runner, leader, messenger, pathfinder, patriarchs, pioneer, point, precedent, precursor, predecessor, predecessors, progenitors, prototype, scout, stormy petrel, trailblazer, trailbreaker, vanguard, vaunt-courier, voortrekker

ROGET THESAURUS

predecessor

Precursor

N precursor, antecedent, precedent, predecessor, forerunner, vancourier, avant-coureur, pioneer, prodrome, prodromos, prodromus, outrider, leader, bellwether, herald, harbinger, foreboding, dawn, avant-courier, avant-garde, bellmare, forelooper, foreloper, stalking-horse, voorlooper, voortrekker, prelude, preamble, preface, prologue, foreword, avant-propos, protasis, proemium, prolusion, proem, prolepsis, prolegomena, prefix, introduction, heading, frontispiece, groundwork, preparation, overture, exordium, symphony, premises, prefigurement, omen, precursory, prelusive, prelusory, preludious, proemial, introductory, prefatory, prodromous, inaugural, preliminary, precedent, a precedent embalms a principle.