A predecessor is someone or something that came before another in the same role or position. When a new principal starts at your school, the previous principal was her predecessor. When a president takes office, the former president becomes their predecessor. The word can also describe things: the iPhone 14's predecessor was the iPhone 13.

Think of predecessor as the opposite of successor. If you become class president after someone else, you're their successor and they're your predecessor. The word always involves a sequence or chain: one person or thing following another in the same role.

You'll often hear people compare leaders to their predecessors: “The new coach uses different strategies than her predecessor did.” Sometimes new leaders learn from their predecessors' mistakes or build on their predecessors' successes.