What does "predecessor" mean?

1. (previous person in a role) the person who had a job or position before the person who has it now. 2. (an earlier model) an older version of a machine, tool, or system. 3. (graph theory) a point in a diagram that comes before another point along a path.

How do you use "predecessor"?

Often followed by the preposition 'of'.

predecessor

US //ˈpɹɛdəˌsɛsɝ// UK //pɹˈiːdɪsˌɛsɐ// pre·de·ces·sor

1 previous person in a role (n.)
C1 Advanced Formal

the person who had a job or position before the person who has it now.

a person who held a specific office or position before the current holder.

Example

The new manager changed many of the rules that her predecessor had created.

Example

The incoming prime minister was careful not to openly criticise his predecessor, despite the significant policy shifts he intended to implement.

Usage

Often followed by the preposition 'of'.
- forerunner
- precursor
- successor
2 an earlier model (n.)
C1 Advanced Technical Science

an older version of a machine, tool, or system.

a model or type of machinery or device that precedes the current version, often implying the earlier one is now outdated.

Example

This new smartphone is much faster than its predecessor.

Example

While the current turbine is highly efficient, its predecessor suffered from frequent mechanical failures during high-wind conditions.
- ancestor
- prototype
- descendant

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3 graph theory (n.)
C2 Proficiency Technical Math

a point in a diagram that comes before another point along a path.

a vertex in a directed graph that has a directed path to another specific vertex.

Example

In this flow chart, point A is the predecessor of point B.

Example

The algorithm must identify every predecessor of the target node before it can calculate the shortest path through the network.
- parent node
- successor

Origin

From Middle English predecessour, from Old French predecesseor (“forebear”), from Late Latin praedēcessor, from Latin prae- (“pre-”) + Latin dēcessor (“retiring officer”), from Latin dēcēdō (“I retire, I die”) (English decease).