Definition of "predecessor" []

• One who precedes another in time, especially in holding an office or position. (noun)
• Something that has been succeeded by another: The new building is more spacious than its predecessor. (noun)
• Archaic An ancestor; a forebear. (noun)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

• "As Steven writes, your predecessor is a key built-in resource for inquiring about your new-found responsibilities."
• "Another important distinction with his predecessor is about their attitudes towards welfare."
• "Greenpeace is urging Mr Dudley to take the company in a new direction after what it calls his predecessor's "obsession with high-risk, environmentally reckless sources of oil"."