as in forerunner
something belonging to an earlier time from which something else was later developed
the once-ubiquitous typewriter was the predecessor of today's electronic keyboard
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Recent Examples of predecessor
Weeks earlier, in L.A. County, former federal prosecutor Nathan Hochman was sworn in as the new district attorney and kicked off his administration by reversing several policies that his progressive predecessor George Gascón put in place.
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Koko Nakajima, Los Angeles Times, 30 Dec. 2024
Jimmy Carter:The media has been harder on Trump than predecessors
One Carter appointment led to Arizona having 3 governors in 5 months
Carter named Arizona’s then-Gov. Raúl Castro as ambassador to Argentina in 1977.
—Ronald J. Hansen, The Arizona Republic, 29 Dec. 2024
Buy Now: $300 Louis Roederer 2016 Cristal Champagne France
The pinnacle of the house of Louis Roederer, Cristal 2016 lives up to the legend of its predecessors with exquisite aromas, flavors, and a constant stream of slow-moving bubbles.
—Mike Desimone and Jeff Jenssen, Robb Report, 28 Dec. 2024
And, like his predecessor, Trump will know where to find a reliable prompt for a roar from the crowd.
—Ron Elving, NPR, 28 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for predecessor 
Koko Nakajima, Los Angeles Times, 30 Dec. 2024
Jimmy Carter:The media has been harder on Trump than predecessors
One Carter appointment led to Arizona having 3 governors in 5 months
Carter named Arizona’s then-Gov. Raúl Castro as ambassador to Argentina in 1977.
—Ronald J. Hansen, The Arizona Republic, 29 Dec. 2024
Buy Now: $300 Louis Roederer 2016 Cristal Champagne France
The pinnacle of the house of Louis Roederer, Cristal 2016 lives up to the legend of its predecessors with exquisite aromas, flavors, and a constant stream of slow-moving bubbles.
—Mike Desimone and Jeff Jenssen, Robb Report, 28 Dec. 2024
And, like his predecessor, Trump will know where to find a reliable prompt for a roar from the crowd.
—Ron Elving, NPR, 28 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for predecessor
Recent Examples of Synonyms for predecessor
Noun
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The company's North American forerunner, Chrysler, has been left for dead repeatedly over the decades, only to emerge with hit products like minivans in the 1980s and the Dodge Ram pickup in the 1990s.Joel Mathis, theweek, 17 Dec. 2024
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The launch of its own line of foundation models marks Amazon’s latest push to strengthen its position against forerunners Microsoft, Google, Meta and OpenAI, the creator of ChatGPT.AFP, Fortune, 4 Dec. 2024
Noun
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The heroine feels a sense of belonging; she is told that this is the home of her ancestors.Katy Waldman, The New Yorker, 6 Jan. 2025
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Martínez sought to both channel their energy and encourage younger generations to pursue the music of their ancestors.Solcyré Burga, TIME, 5 Jan. 2025
Noun
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For many people in the U.S., Christmas Eve may just be the precursor for the big Christmas celebration or the day to check off some last-minute holiday shopping.Julia Gomez, USA TODAY, 24 Dec. 2024
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The family has filed a claim against San Diego County, the precursor to a lawsuit.Kelly Davis, The Mercury News, 23 Dec. 2024
Thesaurus Entries Near predecessor
Cite this Entry
“Predecessor.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/predecessor. Accessed 17 Jan. 2025.
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