Predecessor Meaning
/ˈpɹiːdɪsɛsə(ɹ)/Definition, CEFR level B2, pronunciation, examples, and quiz.
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Definition
nounOne who precedes; one who has preceded another in any state, position, office, etc.; one whom another follows or comes after, in any office or position.
nounA model or type of machinery or device which precedes the current (or later) one. Usually used to describe an earlier, outdated model.
Sentence Examples
We like the present headmaster better than his predecessor.
I intend to follow my predecessor's policy.
The new president reversed many of the policies of his predecessor.
Synonyms & Antonyms
Synonyms:
Antonyms:
None
CEFR Practice Quiz
The current CEO learned valuable lessons from the mistakes of his ____.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The new director promised to build on the achievements of her ____ while introducing fresh ideas.
Word Origin & History
From Middle English predecessour, from Old French predecesseor (“forebear”), from Late Latin praedēcessor, from Latin prae- (“pre-”) + Latin dēcessor (“retiring officer”), from Latin dēcēdō (“to retire, to die”) (English decease).
Literary Quotations & Historical Citations
"I thought about my predecessor, who had died of drink and smoke; and I could have wished he had been so good as to live, and not bother me with his decease."
— 1849 May – 1850 November, Charles Dickens, The Personal History of David Copperfield, London: Bradbury & Evans, […], published 1850, →OCLC:
""The Northern Heights at last," you say to yourself, hastily closing the carriage window because the Yorkshire coal used by the Eastern Region and its predecessors makes their tunnels more sulphurous than any we know."
— 1951 October, R. S. McNaught, “Lines of Approach”, in Railway Magazine, page 704:
"No. 6959 is painted in the standard wartime black livery and, like its immediate predecessors, does not carry a nameplate, but the words "Hall Class" have been painted on the middle coupled-wheel splasher."
— 1944 November and December, “Modified G.W.R. "Hall" Class Locomotives”, in Railway Magazine, page 350:
Explore More B2 Vocabulary Words
CEFR Practice Quiz
The current CEO learned valuable lessons from the mistakes of his ____.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The new director promised to build on the achievements of her ____ while introducing fresh ideas.