Synonyms for

Predecessors

Verb / ˈpredʌˌsesɜ:z / Another word for predecessors — explore alternatives below. For syllable breakdowns and pronunciation, see this word on Syllablesworld.

Definition

Predecessors are people who held a position before the current person. It can also refer to ancestors or earlier versions of something.

Synonyms & similar words

harbinger precursor forerunner predecessor herald forerunners antecedents ancestors forebears precursors prior former past earlier preexisting antecessors predecessors progenitors old early antediluvian primeval primitive original archaic

Synonyms by register

Formal

forebears antecedents precursors

Informal

forerunners past holders previous occupants

Literary

elders ancestors

Antonyms

successors heirs descendants followers inheritors succession

Common collocations

  • immediate predecessors
  • distinguished predecessors
  • his predecessors
  • her predecessors
  • their predecessors
  • previous predecessors
  • recent predecessors

Word family

noun predecessor
verb precede
adjective preceding
adverb precedingly

Usage note

Refers to someone or something that came before another in time or order. It is often used in contexts of succession, lineage, or historical progression.

Example sentences

  1. My dad was the predecessor to my current teacher in this class.
  2. The iPhone 11 is the predecessor to the iPhone 12.
  3. My great-grandfather fought in World War II and was a predecessor to my grandfather in the military.
  4. The dinosaur was the predecessor to modern-day reptiles.

Quotes

  • We are not makers of history. We are made by history. - Martin Luther King Jr.
  • The best way to predict the future is to study the past. - Abraham Lincoln
  • The past is never dead. It's not even past. - William Faulkner

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