predecessor Definition

predecessor
noun

1. The person who formerly held a job or position now held by someone else.
2. The previous version, model, etc of a particular thing or product.

Thesaurus: ancestor, forerunner, precursor, antecedent, antecessor.
3. An ancestor.

Thesaurus: ancestor, forefather, forebear, progenitor, antecessor; Antonym: descendant.

Etymology: 14c: from Latin praedecessor, from decedere to go away.