What does “predecessor” mean?
- 1
nouna person who had a job before someone else
The new CEO praised her predecessor.
- 2
nouna thing that came before another and was replaced by it
The new phone is lighter than its predecessor.
Predecessor at a glance
- Part of speech
- noun
- CEFR level
- C1 (advanced)
- Pronunciation
- /ˈprɛdəˌsɛsɚ/ · PRED-uh-ses-er
How to use “predecessor” correctly
In the US the first syllable is usually stressed (PRED-). The opposite is “successor”.
Synonyms, opposites and related words
Antonyms (opposite meaning)
- successor
“predecessor” is on these word lists
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