Adjacent Words

Predecessor definitions

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Webster's 1828 Dictionary

PREDECES'SOR, n. [L. proe and decedo, to depart.] A person who has preceded another in the same office. The king, the president, the judge, or the magistrate, follows the steps of his predecessor, or he does not imitate the example of his predecessors. It is distinguished from ancestor, who is of the same blood; but it may perhaps be sometimes used for it.

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

n
1: one who precedes you in time (as in holding a position or office)
2: something that precedes and indicates the approach of something or someone [syn: harbinger, forerunner, predecessor, herald, precursor]

Merriam Webster's

noun Etymology: Middle English predecessour, from Anglo-French predecessur, from Late Latin praedecessor, from Latin prae- pre- + decessor retiring governor, from decedere to depart, retire from office — more at decease Date: 14th century 1. one that precedes; especially a person who has previously occupied a position or office to which another has succeeded 2. archaic ancestor

Oxford Reference Dictionary

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)

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Predecessor Pred`e*ces"sor (?; 277), 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. pr['e]d['e]cesseur. 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. A prince who was as watchful as his predecessor had been over the interests of the state. --Prescott.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

(predecessors) 1. Your predecessor is the person who had your job before you. He maintained that he learned everything he knew from his predecessor Kenneth Sisam. N-COUNT: usu poss N 2. The predecessor of an object or machine is the object or machine that came before it in a sequence or process of development. The car is some 40mm shorter than its predecessor. = forerunner N-COUNT: usu with poss

Soule's Dictionary of English Synonyms

n. 1. Precursor (in any office or position), forerunner. 2. Ancestor, forefather, progenitor, elder.

Moby Thesaurus

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