noun · 5 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.
UK:/ˈpɹiːdɪsɛsə(ɹ)/
Southern-England:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
Canada:/ˈpɹiːdɪsɛsɚ/
US:/ˈpɹɛd.ə.sɛs.ɚ/
US:/ˈpɹi.də.sɛs.ɚ/
US:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
CMU ARPABET:P R EH1 D AH0 S EH2 S ER0
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
noun
Meaning 1
One 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.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: antecessor, ancestor
Antonyms: successor
2
noun
Meaning 2
A model or type of machinery or device which precedes the current (or later) one. Usually used to describe an earlier, outdated model.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Examples
The steam engine was the predecessor of diesel and electric locomotives.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: successor
3
noun
Meaning 3
A vertex having a directed path to another vertex
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Topics: mathematics, sciences
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
4
noun
Meaning 4
something that precedes and indicates the approach of something or someone
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
one who precedes you in time (as in holding a position or office)
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: precursor, forerunner
Narrower terms: forefather
History
Etymology
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).
Across languages
Translations
73 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Azerbaijani:
sələf
— one who precedes
Belarusian:
папярэ́днік
(papjarédnik)
— one who precedes
Belarusian:
папярэ́дніца
(papjarédnica)
— one who precedes
Bulgarian:
предше́ственик
(predšéstvenik)
— one who precedes
Bulgarian:
предше́ственичка
(predšéstvenička)
— one who precedes
Catalan:
antecessor
— one who precedes
Chinese Mandarin:
前任
(qiánrèn)
— one who precedes
Chinese Mandarin:
前任者
(qiánrènzhě)
— one who precedes
Czech:
předchůdce
— one who precedes
Czech:
předchůdkyně
— one who precedes
Danish:
forgænger
— one who precedes
Dutch:
voorganger
— one who precedes
Esperanto:
antaŭulo
— one who precedes
Estonian:
eelkäija
— one who precedes
Finnish:
edeltäjä
— one who precedes
French:
prédécesseur
— one who precedes
French:
prédécesseuse
— one who precedes
French:
prédécessrice
— one who precedes
Galician:
antecesor
— one who precedes
Galician:
antecesora
— one who precedes
Galician:
predecesor
— one who precedes
Galician:
predecesora
— one who precedes
Galician:
devanceiro
— one who precedes
Georgian:
წინამორბედი
(c̣inamorbedi)
— one who precedes
German:
Vorgänger
— one who precedes
German:
Vorgängerin
— one who precedes
Greek:
προκάτοχος
(prokátochos)
— one who precedes
Hindi:
पूर्ववर्ती
(pūrvavartī)
— one who precedes
Hindi:
पूर्वज
(pūrvaj)
— one who precedes
Icelandic:
forveri
— one who precedes
Indonesian:
pendahulu
— one who precedes
Italian:
predecessore
— one who precedes
Italian:
antecessore
— one who precedes
Japanese:
前任者
(zenninsha)
— one who precedes
Korean:
전임자
(jeonimja)
— one who precedes
Macedonian:
претходник
(prethodnik)
— one who precedes
Macedonian:
претходничка
(prethodnička)
— one who precedes
Old English:
foregenġa
— one who precedes
Polish:
poprzednik
— one who precedes
Polish:
poprzedniczka
— one who precedes
Polish:
antecesor
— one who precedes
Portuguese:
predecessor
— one who precedes
Portuguese:
antecessor
— one who precedes
Russian:
предше́ственник
(predšéstvennik)
— one who precedes
Russian:
предше́ственница
(predšéstvennica)
— one who precedes
Serbo-Croatian:
пре́тходнӣк
— one who precedes
Serbo-Croatian:
пре́тходница
— one who precedes
Serbo-Croatian:
préthodnīk
— one who precedes
Serbo-Croatian:
préthodnica
— one who precedes
Slovak:
predchodca
— one who precedes
Slovak:
predchodkyňa
— one who precedes
Slovene:
predhodnik
— one who precedes
Slovene:
predhodnica
— one who precedes
Spanish:
predecesor
— one who precedes
Swedish:
föregångare
— one who precedes
Turkish:
öncü
— one who precedes
Ukrainian:
попере́дник
(poperédnyk)
— one who precedes
Ukrainian:
попере́дниця
(poperédnycja)
— one who precedes
Esperanto:
antaŭanto
— model or type which precedes
Finnish:
edeltäjä
— model or type which precedes
French:
précédent
— model or type which precedes
German:
Vorläufer
— model or type which precedes
Hindi:
पूर्ववर्ती
(pūrvavartī)
— model or type which precedes
Indonesian:
pendahulu
— model or type which precedes
Italian:
precedente
— model or type which precedes
Japanese:
前機種
(zenkishu)
— model or type which precedes
Polish:
poprzednik
— model or type which precedes
Portuguese:
predecessor
— model or type which precedes
Russian:
предше́ственник
(predšéstvennik)
— model or type which precedes
Russian:
предше́ственница
(predšéstvennica)
— model or type which precedes
Spanish:
predecesor
— model or type which precedes
Swedish:
föregångare
— model or type which precedes
