predecessor

/ˈprɛdəˌsɛsər/
noun
  1. A person who held a position or job before someone else.
    • The new CEO learned a lot from her predecessor's mistakes.
    • Each president builds on the work of their predecessors.
    • My predecessor left detailed notes about the project.
  2. A thing that comes before another in time or in a series.
    • The steam engine was the predecessor of modern trains.
    • The old library building was the predecessor of the current one.
    • This smartphone model is much faster than its predecessor.
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