predecessor Definition
pred·eces·sor (pred′ə ses′ər, prē′də-; pred′ə ses′ər)
noun
- a person who precedes or preceded another, as in office
- a thing replaced by another thing, as in use
- an ancestor; forefather
Etymology: ME predecessour < MFr predecesseur < LL praedecessor < L prae-, before (see pre-) + decessor, retiring officer < decessus, pp. of decedere, to go away, depart < de-, from + cedere, to go: see cede
predecessor Synonyms
predecessor Usage Examples
Converse of object
have: However, William was not able to leave his name because he does not have a direct male predecessor who went to Eton.
Adjective modifier
- illustrious: Smiley's People, and it's illustrious predecessor remain two of the all-time great dramas.
- immediate: An examination of the photographs revealed that my five immediate predecessors had all lost their seats at the election two days earlier.
- distinguished: My distinguished predecessor, Frank Haynes, was a Bevin boy.
- Conservative: The foundations of economic stability and success laid by his Conservative predecessors.
- famous: Ironically, unlike his famous predecessor, the new reformer has no social policy background.
- male: However, William was not able to leave his name because he does not have a direct male predecessor who went to Eton.
Modifies a noun
- body: As well as its own records the ITC retains the records of its predecessor bodies and also those of the Cable Authority.
- organization: We now have 32 % fewer people than the predecessor organizations and lower running costs.
- institution: Nominees may have graduated in any year and from any course, from the University of Ulster or any of it's predecessor institutions.
- organization: The technology used by ICRA and its predecessor organization ( RSACi ) were developed 10 years ago.
- firm: She has been a partner in PwC and its predecessor firms since 1990.
- department: Historic figures have been collated from departmental reports and accounts of DWP and its predecessor departments.
Noun used with modifier
pagan: There may have been a timber original; there may even have been a pagan predecessor.
Possessives
policy: Our main priority is to undo the damage done by our predecessors ' disastrous policies.
Preposition: in
- title: Those who " contribute " land are " providing " something neither they nor their predecessors in title ever created.
- office: STEWART, like several of his predecessors in the office of Lord Provost, was a native of Glasgow.
- job: All four of his predecessors in the job have died violent deaths.
- term: In fact, you're quite different from you predecessor in terms of your DJing, you're much more of a turntables.
Preposition: of
today: Having a look at the old predecessors of today 's Playstation and Dreamcast games might explain why certain stereotypes are so persistent.
Browse dictionary entries near predecessor
- ‹ predecease
- ‹ predatory lending
- ‹ predatory
- ‹ predator
- ‹ predation
- ‹ predate
- ‹ predacious
- ‹ pred
- ‹ precursory
- ‹ precursor
- predesignate ›
- predestinarian ›
- predestinate ›
- predestination ›
- predestine ›
- predetermine ›
- predetermined ›
- predial ›
- predicable ›
- predicament ›

