Dictionary

predecessor en · NOUN

Pronunciation

• /ˈpɹiːdɪsɛsɚ/ (Canada)
• (Southern-England) audio
• (US) audio
• /ˈpɹi.də.sɛs.ɚ/ (US)
• /ˈpɹɛd.ə.sɛs.ɚ/ (US)
• /ˈpɹiːdɪsɛsə(ɹ)/ (UK)

Etymology

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).

Meanings

1. 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. 1849 May – 1850 November, Charles Dickens, The Personal History of David Copperfield, London: Bradbury & Evans, […], published 1850, →OCLC:
   • "The Northern Heights at last," you say to yourself, hastily closing the carriage window because the Yorkshire coal used by the Eastern Region and its predecessors makes their tunnels more sulphurous than any we know. 1951 October, R. S. McNaught, “Lines of Approach”, in Railway Magazine, page 704:
2. 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 Usually used to describe an earlier, outdated model.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.
   • No. 6959 is painted in the standard wartime black livery and, like its immediate predecessors, does not carry a nameplate, but the words "Hall Class" have been painted on the middle coupled-wheel splasher. 1944 November and December, “Modified G.W.R. "Hall" Class Locomotives”, in Railway Magazine, page 350:
3. A vertex having a directed path to another vertex

Forms

Antonyms

successor · successor · successor

Deriveds

predecessorial · predecessorship · predecessory · predecessoress

Hypernyms

precursor

Hyponyms

ancestor · foreking · predecessoress · preregnant

Relateds

successor · predecessive · decease · successive · deceased

Synonyms

ancient · predecessor · foreganger · elder · ancestor · antecessor · ancestor · precursor · precessor · antecessor · forerunner

Translations (73)

cs předchůdkyně (one who precedes) · bg предше́ственик (one who precedes) · uk попере́дниця (one who precedes) · mk претходник (one who precedes) · pl poprzednik (model or type which precedes) · fr prédécesseuse (one who precedes) · id pendahulu (one who precedes) · cmn 前任 (one who precedes) · sk predchodkyňa (one who precedes) · uk попере́дник (one who precedes) · gl antecesora (one who precedes) · pl poprzednik (one who precedes) · mk претходничка (one who precedes) · tr öncü (one who precedes) · az sələf (one who precedes) · de Vorgänger (one who precedes) · ja 前任者 (one who precedes) · sl predhodnik (one who precedes) · id pendahulu (model or type which precedes) · ru предше́ственник (one who precedes) · sv föregångare (model or type which precedes) · da forgænger (one who precedes) · pl poprzedniczka (one who precedes) · ko 전임자 (one who precedes) · eo antaŭulo (one who precedes) · is forveri (one who precedes) · sh пре́тходнӣк (one who precedes) · pt predecessor (model or type which precedes) · eo antaŭanto (model or type which precedes) · tr öncü (model or type which precedes) · be папярэ́дніца (one who precedes) · ca antecessor (one who precedes) · es predecesor (one who precedes) · gl devanceiro (one who precedes) · nl voorganger (one who precedes) · hi पूर्ववर्ती (one who precedes) · gl predecesor (one who precedes) · sh préthodnica (one who precedes) · sk predchodca (one who precedes) · ru предше́ственница (model or type which precedes) · es predecesor (model or type which precedes) · de Vorläufer (model or type which precedes) · ru предше́ственница (one who precedes) · fr prédécesseur (one who precedes) · hi पूर्ववर्ती (model or type which precedes) · bg предше́ственичка (one who precedes) · hi पूर्वज (one who precedes) · it predecessore (one who precedes) · ru предше́ственник (model or type which precedes) · gl antecesor (one who precedes) · fr prédécessrice (one who precedes) · it precedente (model or type which precedes) · ka წინამორბედი (one who precedes) · gl predecesora (one who precedes) · pt predecessor (one who precedes) · pl antecesor (one who precedes) · ang foregenġa (one who precedes) · pt antecessor (one who precedes) · de Vorgängerin (one who precedes) · sh пре́тходница (one who precedes) · fi edeltäjä (model or type which precedes) · fi edeltäjä (one who precedes) · be папярэ́днік (one who precedes) · cmn 前任者 (one who precedes) · cs předchůdce (one who precedes) · ja 前機種 (model or type which precedes) · sv föregångare (one who precedes) · it antecessore (one who precedes) · sh préthodnīk (one who precedes) · el προκάτοχος (one who precedes) · sl predhodnica (one who precedes) · et eelkäija (one who precedes) · fr précédent (model or type which precedes)