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
Its predecessor, Every Shade of Blue, reached No. 21 on the Americana/Folk Albums chart in May 2022 and has earned 61,000 equivalent album units to date.
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Kevin Rutherford, Billboard, 13 Dec. 2024
Trump turned to Wray, a lifelong Republican, to lead the FBI after firing predecessor James Comey.
—Rebecca Beitsch, The Hill, 12 Dec. 2024
Whitaker’s predecessor, Stephen Dickson, also stepped down before fulfilling his term.
—David Koenig, Los Angeles Times, 12 Dec. 2024
George Harrison Living in the Material World Like its predecessor, 1970’s All Things Must Pass, Living in the Material World, George Harrison's fourth solo album from 1973, was recently given the 50th anniversary treatment as a deluxe reissue.
—David Chiu, Forbes, 3 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for predecessor 
Kevin Rutherford, Billboard, 13 Dec. 2024
Trump turned to Wray, a lifelong Republican, to lead the FBI after firing predecessor James Comey.
—Rebecca Beitsch, The Hill, 12 Dec. 2024
Whitaker’s predecessor, Stephen Dickson, also stepped down before fulfilling his term.
—David Koenig, Los Angeles Times, 12 Dec. 2024
George Harrison Living in the Material World Like its predecessor, 1970’s All Things Must Pass, Living in the Material World, George Harrison's fourth solo album from 1973, was recently given the 50th anniversary treatment as a deluxe reissue.
—David Chiu, Forbes, 3 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for predecessor
Recent Examples of Synonyms for predecessor
Noun
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These projects breathed new life into the U.S. conservation movement, the forerunner of today’s climate activism.Pavlina R. Tcherneva, Foreign Affairs, 22 July 2020
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Embrace change, become a forerunner and refuse to let emotional interference deter productivity.Eugenia Last, The Mercury News, 28 Oct. 2024
Noun
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Vallée de Farney is a nature preserve located in the untouched forests of Mauritius—where the founder’s ancestor was exiled during the French Revolution.Angelina Villa-Clarke, Forbes, 4 Dec. 2024
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Eisenberg wanted to convey the irony of yearning to connect with your ancestors’ pain while being unwilling to experience — or even confront — any discomfort while doing so.Glenn Whipp, Los Angeles Times, 3 Dec. 2024
Noun
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Poor sleep is associated with insulin resistance (cells do not respond to insulin to take in blood glucose for energy, causing blood sugar levels to rise), which may be the precursor to prediabetes (having blood sugar levels that are not quite high enough to be considered type 2 diabetes).Amber J. Tresca, Verywell Health, 16 Dec. 2024
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The last time the Democratic Party faced this scale of electoral defeat was also the precursor to its greatest twenty-first-century success.Ben Rhodes, Foreign Affairs, 13 Dec. 2024
Thesaurus Entries Near predecessor
Cite this Entry
“Predecessor.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/predecessor. Accessed 22 Dec. 2024.
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