PREDECESSOR: Synonyms and Related Words. What is Another Word for PREDECESSOR?

Need another word that means the same as “predecessor”? Find 6 synonyms and 30 related words for “predecessor” in this overview.

The synonyms of “Predecessor” are: forerunner, harbinger, herald, precursor, former holder of the post, antecedent

Predecessor as a Noun

Definitions of "Predecessor" as a noun

According to the Oxford Dictionary of English, “predecessor” as a noun can have the following definitions:

• One who precedes you in time (as in holding a position or office.
• Something that precedes and indicates the approach of something or someone.
• A thing that has been followed or replaced by another.
• A person who held a job or office before the current holder.

Synonyms of "Predecessor" as a noun (6 Words)

antecedent	Someone from whom you are descended (but usually more remote than a grandparent. Some antecedents to the African novel might exist in Africa s oral traditions.
forerunner	Anything that precedes something similar in time. The ice safe was a forerunner of today s refrigerator.
former holder of the post	The first of two or the first mentioned of two.
harbinger	A person or thing that announces or signals the approach of another. Witch hazels are the harbingers of spring.
herald	A brown moth with dull orange markings, often hibernating in houses and old buildings. The chieftain had a herald who announced his arrival with a trumpet.
precursor	A substance from which another is formed, especially by metabolic reaction. A three stringed precursor of the violin.

Usage Examples of "Predecessor" as a noun

• The chapel was built in 1864 on the site of its predecessor.
• The new President's foreign policy is very similar to that of his predecessor.

Associations of "Predecessor" (30 Words)

above	In or to a place that is higher. The two cases described above.
antecedence	Preceding in time.
antecedent	Denoting or counting as an antecedent. Phrenology was an antecedent of modern neuroscience.
antedate	Indicate or discover that (a document, event, or word) should be assigned to an earlier date. A civilization that antedated the Roman Empire.
anterior	A tooth situated at the front of the mouth. His malocclusion was caused by malposed anteriors.
before	At or in the front. As I said before.
first	The first or highest in an ordering or series. The first violin section.
forego	Do without or cease to hold or adhere to.
forerunner	A person or thing that precedes the coming or development of someone or something else. The ice safe was a forerunner of today s refrigerator.
former	Having previously been a particular thing. The seafarers of former times.
formerly	At a previous time. The building formerly housed the National Assembly.
front	Of a building or piece of land have the front facing or directed towards. She is set to front a new BBC show.
harbinger	A person or thing that announces or signals the approach of another. Witch hazels are the harbingers of spring.
herald	An official employed to oversee state ceremonial, precedence, and the use of armorial bearings, and (historically) to make proclamations, carry official messages, and oversee tournaments. The chieftain had a herald who announced his arrival with a trumpet.
omen	Indicate as with a sign or an omen. The ghost s appearance was an ill omen.
precede	Be the predecessor of. She always precedes her lectures with a joke.
precedent	A previous case or legal decision that may be or binding precedent must be followed in subsequent similar cases. We hope to set a legal precedent to protect hundreds of miles of green lanes.
preceding	Existing or coming before. A growth in sales above those of the preceding year.
precursor	A person or thing that comes before another of the same kind; a forerunner. Pepsinogen is the inactive precursor of pepsin.
predate	Establish something as being earlier relative to something else. Here parish boundaries seem clearly to predate Roman roads.
preemptive	Designed or having the power to deter or prevent an anticipated situation or occurrence. A preemptive business offer.
prefatory	Serving as an introduction or preface. In his prefatory remarks the author claims that.
prematurely	Too soon; in a premature manner. His son died prematurely.
prerequisite	A thing that is required as a prior condition for something else to happen or exist. Latin was a prerequisite for admission.
previous	Previous convictions a criminal record. The boat s previous owner.
prior	The head of a religious order in an abbey the prior is next below the abbot. He had no juvenile record no priors.
priority	The fact or condition of being regarded or treated as more important than others. The safety of the country takes priority over any other matter.
superior	A superior letter figure or symbol. Trust magnates who felt themselves superior to law.
trailblazer	Someone who helps to open up a new line of research or technology or art. He was a trailblazer for many ideas that are now standard fare.
untimely	At a time that is unsuitable or premature. His untimely death in military action.