predecessor

Intermediatezipf 3.82

Pronunciation

/ˈpriːdɪsɛsər/(PREE-dih-ses-ur)

Part of speech

nounneutral

Chinese

前任；前身；前辈

Definition

A person who held a position or role before the current holder; a thing that has been followed or replaced by another.

Word family

  • (no common derivatives)

Collocations

  • predecessor in office
  • unlike his predecessor
  • predecessor company
  • predecessor model
  • worthy predecessor

Examples

  1. 1.The new CEO inherited a financial mess from her predecessor, who had mismanaged the company for years. (previous holder)
  2. 2.The iPhone 15 improved on its predecessor with a better camera and longer battery life. (previous version)

Synonyms

  • forerunner/ˈfɔːrˌrʌnər/— something that came before and influenced — less specific
  • precursor/prɪˈkɜːrsər/— something that came before and led to another — more causal
  • antecedent/ˌæntɪˈsiːdənt/— a thing that existed before — more formal

Etymology

from Latin "praedecessor" — prae- (before) + decessor (one who departs) — "decedere" (to depart) — the one who departed before you arrived