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Definition of predecessor - 5 dictionary results

pred⋅e⋅ces⋅sor

  [pred-uh-ses-er, pred-uh-ses-er or, especially Brit., pree-duh-ses-er]
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–noun
1. a person who precedes another in an office, position, etc.
2. something succeeded or replaced by something else: The new monument in the park is more beautiful than its predecessor.
3. Archaic. an ancestor; forefather.
Origin:
1250–1300; ME predecessour < AF < LL praedēcessor, equiv. to L prae- pre- + dēcessor retiring official, itself equiv. to dēced-, var. s. of dēcēdere to withdraw (dē- de- + cēdere to yield; see cede ) + -tor -tor, with dt > ss
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
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pred·e·ces·sor   (prěd'ĭ-sěs'ər, prē'dĭ-)   
n.  
  1. One who precedes another in time, especially in holding an office or position.
  2. Something that has been succeeded by another: The new building is more spacious than its predecessor.
  3. Archaic An ancestor; a forebear.

[Middle English predecessoure, from Old French predecesseur, from Late Latin praedēcessor : Latin prae-, pre- + Latin dēcessor, a retiring magistrate (from dēcessus, past participle of dēcēdere, to depart : dē-, away; see de- + cēdere, to go; see ked- in Indo-European roots).]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Predecessor

Pred`e*ces"sor\ (?; 277), n. [L. praedecessor; prae before + decessor one who withdraws from the province he has governed, a retiring officer (with reference to his successor), a predecessor, fr. decedere: cf. F. pr['e]d['e]cesseur. See Decease.] 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.

A prince who was as watchful as his predecessor had been over the interests of the state. --Prescott.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary, © 1996, 1998 MICRA, Inc.
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Language Translation for : predecessor
Spanish: predecesor,
German: der, *die Vorgänger(in),
Japanese: 前任者
More Translations »

predecessor 
c.1375, "one who has held an office or position before the present holder," from L.L. prædecessorem (nom. prædecessor), c.420, from L. præ "before" + decessor "retiring official," from decess-, pp. stem of decedere "go away," also "die" (see decease). Meaning "ancestor, forefather" is recorded from c.1400.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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predecessor
parent

The Free On-line Dictionary of Computing, © 1993-2007 Denis Howe
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