Words / C1

PREED-is-es-uh/ˈpriːdɪsesə/

A predecessor is the person or thing that came before in a job or line: her predecessor, a predecessor model. Successor (already in the dictionary) is the one after. Ancestor is family/deeper past. Do not call a rival in another university a predecessor.

Meaning

The person or thing that came before another in a job or series.

Examples

• “Her predecessor left a clean archive and an angry inbox.”
• “Her predecessor left a clean archive and an inbox full of overdue replies.”
• “Successor is the next holder. Ancestor is bloodline or deep origins. Previous boss is everyday. A peer at another site is a counterpart, not a predecessor.”

Good to know

The one who came before. Opposite: successor. Everyday: previous holder. Contrast: ancestor (lineage). A rival elsewhere is not a predecessor.

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