Predecessor

Pronunciation

• Canada IPA: /ˈpriːdɪsÉ›sÉš/
• US IPA: /ˈprÉ›d.É™.sÉ›s.Éš/, /ˈpri.dÉ™.sÉ›s.Éš/

Alternative forms

• prædecessor archaic
• prædecessour obsolete, rare
• predecessour obsolete

Origin

From Latin prae ("before") + decedo ("go away").

Funk, W. J., Word origins and their romantic stories, New York, Wilfred Funk, Inc.

Full definition of predecessor

Noun

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.
2. A model or type of machinery or device which precedes the current one. Usually used to describe an earlier, outdated model.The steam engine was the predecessor of diesel and electric locomotives.
3. (mathematics) A vertex having a directed path to another vertex

Synonyms

• foreganger archaic, rare

Antonyms

• (one who precedes) successor
• (machinery or device which precedes) successor

Anagrams

• reprocessed