predecessor

predecessor
\ \ [14] Etymologically, predecessor is first cousin to decease, but it has never taken on decease’s connotations of ‘dying’. Both go back to Latin dēcēderego away’ (a compound verb based on cēderego away’, source of English cede, concede, precede, etc), whose derived noun dēcessusdeparture’ came to be used euphemistically for ‘death’ – whence English decease [14]. Combination with the prefix prae- ‘before’ with the derived dēcessorleaver’ produced praedēcessorone who leaves before’. Traces of this original meaning linger in English predecessor (acquired via Old French predecesseur) in the notion of ‘one who left office before the present incumbent took over’.
\ \ Cf.CEDE, CONCEDE, DECEASE, PRECEDE, PROCEED, SUCCEED

Word origins - 2ed. . 2005.

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Synonyms:
(in any office or position), / , , ,


Look at other dictionaries:

  • predecessor — pre‧de‧ces‧sor [ˈpriːdsesə ǁ ˈpredsesər] noun [countable] formal 1. a person who was in a particular post or job before the person who is doing it now: • Problems he inherited from his predecessor led to the bank s later troubles. 2. a machine …   Financial and business terms

  • 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… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • predecessor — I noun ancestor, antecedent, antecessor, elder, forebearer, forefather, foregoer, foreparent, forerunner, former incumbent, former officeholder, founder, originator, patriarch, precursor, procreator, progenitor II index ancestor, ascendant,… …   Law dictionary

  • predecessor — (n.) late 14c., one who has held an office or position before the present holder, from L.L. praedecessorem (nom. praedecessor), c.420, from L. prae before (see PRE (Cf. pre )) + decessor retiring official, from decess , pp. stem of decedere go… …   Etymology dictionary

  • predecessor — |ô| s. m. Antecessor …   Dicionário da Língua Portuguesa

  • predecessor — [n] something, someone that comes before ancestor, antecedent, antecessor, forebear, foregoer, forerunner, former, precursor, previous, prior, prototype; concepts 414,828 Ant. derivative, descendant, successor …   New thesaurus

  • predecessor — ► NOUN 1) a person who held a job or office before the current holder. 2) a thing that has been followed or replaced by another. ORIGIN Latin praedecessor, from prae beforehand + decessor retiring officer …   English terms dictionary

  • predecessor — [pred′ə ses΄ər, prē′dəses′ər; pred΄ə ses′ər] n. [ME predecessour < MFr predecesseur < LL praedecessor < L prae , before (see PRE ) + decessor, retiring officer < decessus, pp. of decedere, to go away, depart < de , from + cedere,… …   English World dictionary

  • predecessor — [[t]pri͟ːdɪsesə(r), AM pre̱d [/t]] predecessors 1) N COUNT: usu poss N Your predecessor is the person who had your job before you. He maintained that he learned everything he knew from his predecessor Kenneth Sisam. 2) N COUNT: usu with poss The… …   English dictionary

  • predecessor — n. smb. s immediate predecessor * * * [ priːdɪsesə] s immediate predecessor smb …   Combinatory dictionary

  • predecessor — pre|de|ces|sor [ˈpri:dısesə US ˈpredısesər] n [Date: 1300 1400; : French; Origin: prédécesseur, from Late Latin, from Latin decedere to go away, leave your job ] 1.) someone who had your job before you started doing it ≠ ↑successor ▪ Kennedy s… …   Dictionary of contemporary English

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