predecessor
gb/pɹˈɛdəsˌɛsɚ/ us/pɹˈɛdəsˌɛsɚ/
B2
English
~ 8700
előd, előző változat, ős, felmenő
NOUN
B2
1
előd
B2
Usage pattern:
[someone]'s predecessor in [a job/role]
The new prime minister promised to reverse many of his predecessor's policies.
Az új miniszterelnök megígérte, hogy visszavonja elődje számos intézkedését.
My predecessor left very detailed notes about ongoing projects.
Az elődöm nagyon részletes jegyzeteket hagyott a folyamatban lévő projektekről.
Her predecessor as editor-in-chief had worked at the magazine for twenty years.
The company fired his predecessor for poor performance.
Unlike his predecessor in office, the mayor is more open to public criticism.
Learner examples
The new manager met with her predecessor on the first day.
Az új menedzser az első napján találkozott az elődjével.
My predecessor trained me before he left the company.
Az elődöm betanított, mielőtt elment a cégtől.
The president thanked his predecessor for years of service.
Her predecessor in the role was very popular.
I sent an email to the person who was my predecessor.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse "predecessor" with "successor". Remember: a predecessor comes before you in a job or role, and a successor comes after you. Some learners also use it only for things, but it is very commonly used for people in positions.
Meaning
person in a job before someone
Collocations
his predecessor
|her immediate predecessor
|predecessor in office
|predecessor as CEO
|predecessor on the throne
|direct predecessor
Synonyms
former holder (Neutral description; less formal and more explicit than "predecessor".)
|
forerunner (More general or sometimes literary; can sound a bit more dramatic or historical.)
Antonyms
successor (Names the person who takes over a job or role after someone; the temporal opposite of predecessor.)
Themes
work
|business
|politics
|core_vocabulary
Definition
A person who had a job or position before another person in the same job or position.
A person who held a particular job, position, or role before the current person.
B2
2
előd
B2
Usage pattern:
the predecessor of [a thing]
The latest smartphone is lighter and faster than its predecessor.
A legújabb okostelefon könnyebb és gyorsabb az elődjénél.
This software is far more user-friendly than its immediate predecessor.
Ez a szoftver sokkal felhasználóbarátabb, mint a közvetlen elődje.
The new engine design solves many of the problems found in its predecessors.
Compared with its predecessor model, the car uses much less fuel.
The current policy is very different from its predecessor, which focused only on cost-cutting.
Learner examples
This phone is better than its predecessor.
Ez a telefon jobb, mint az elődje.
The new car is safer than the old predecessor model.
Az új autó biztonságosabb, mint a korábbi modell.
The latest app has more features than its predecessor.
This system is easier to use than its predecessor.
The new game sold more copies than its predecessor.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes think "predecessor" is only for people. It is also common for machines, products, systems, and policies. Another mistake is saying *"the predecessor phone of this"*; more natural is *"this phone's predecessor"* or *"the predecessor of this phone"*.
Meaning
earlier version of a thing
Collocations
the predecessor of this model
|its immediate predecessor
|earlier predecessor
|predecessor version
|predecessor model
|predecessor system
Synonyms
previous version (More informal and plain; clearly refers to an earlier form of the same thing.)
|
forerunner (Often suggests an earlier form that led to or influenced the current one; slightly more literary.)
Antonyms
successor (Refers to the later model or version that follows another; the temporal opposite in product or system series.)
Themes
technology
|business
|history
|core_vocabulary
Definition
A product, machine, system, or other thing that was used before the one we have now.
An earlier version of a product, system, device, or similar thing that came before the present one.
NOUN
C1
FORMAL
3
Usage pattern:
a predecessor of [a person/family/line]
Our prehistoric predecessors left tools and cave paintings behind.
Őskori elődeink eszközöket és barlangrajzokat hagytak maguk után.
The land originally belonged to the predecessors of the current village community.
A föld eredetileg a mai faluközösség elődeié volt.
Scientists study the fossils of our early predecessors to understand human evolution.
He takes pride in the achievements of his predecessors in the family.
We know little about our predecessors who lived here centuries ago.
Learner examples
Our human predecessors lived very different lives.
Emberi elődeink egészen más életet éltek.
These bones are from our very old predecessors.
Ezek a csontok nagyon régi őseinktől származnak.
My predecessors came from a small village.
We want to learn about our predecessors who lived long ago.
The museum shows how our predecessors used simple tools.
Common mistake:
Learners may use "predecessor" instead of the more common word "ancestor" when talking about family history. "Predecessor" sounds more formal or academic and is used more often for jobs or systems than for family members.
Meaning
earlier person in your family line
Collocations
our distant predecessors
|human predecessors
|prehistoric predecessors
|predecessors in the family line
|ancestors and predecessors
|our predecessors on this land
Synonyms
ancestor (More common and direct word specifically for earlier family members.)
|
forebear (Formal or literary; clearly refers to family ancestors.)
Antonyms
descendant (Names the people who come after someone in a family line, opposite in time direction.)
Themes
family
|history
|society
|relationships
|core_vocabulary
Definition
A person in your family who lived before your grandparents and from whom you come, used in formal or historical writing.
An earlier family member from whom someone is descended; an ancestor, especially in a formal or historical context.
NOUN
C1
TECHNICAL
4
előd
C1
Usage pattern:
the predecessor of [a number/element/node]
In this ordered list, each element has a unique predecessor except for the first one.
Ebben a rendezett listában az első kivételével minden elemnek egyértelmű elődje van.
For any natural number greater than zero, its predecessor is obtained by subtracting one.
Bármely nullánál nagyobb természetes szám elődjét úgy kapjuk meg, hogy kivonunk belőle egyet.
The algorithm stores a pointer to the predecessor node in the linked list.
We define the predecessor function on the set of integers as mapping n to n − 1.
The search continues by moving from each node to its predecessor until the root is reached.
Learner examples
In the sequence 3, 4, 5, the predecessor of 4 is 3.
A 3, 4, 5 sorozatban a 4 elődje a 3.
Zero does not have a predecessor in the natural numbers in this example.
Ebben a példában a nullának nincs elődje a természetes számok között.
Each node in the tree, except the root, has a predecessor.
The program saves the predecessor of every item in the list.
We use the predecessor function to go one step back.
Common mistake:
Learners may not realize that in technical math or computing texts, "predecessor" has a very specific meaning: the element immediately before another. It is not just any earlier element in the sequence.
Meaning
previous element in an ordered set
Collocations
predecessor function
|predecessor node
|predecessor in the sequence
|immediate predecessor
|unique predecessor
|predecessor and successor
Synonyms
previous element (Informal description; does not carry the precise technical meaning but often used in explanations.)
Antonyms
successor (Technical term for the element that comes immediately after another in an ordered structure.)
Themes
mathematics
|computing
|logic
|science
|technology
|education
Definition
In math or computer science, the number or item that comes just before another one in a list or order.
In mathematics or computer science, an element that comes immediately before a given element in an ordered sequence, set, or data structure.
Grammar
Dictionary form
predecessor
IPA
GB/pɹˈɛdəsˌɛsɚ/
US/pɹˈɛdəsˌɛsɚ/
Syllables & stress
pre - de - cessor (3 syllables)
Stress on 1st syllable (pre)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: predecessor
- Plural: predecessors
Word family
Forms
predecessors
noun
Related words
preceding
adjective
Negative and opposite forms
successor
noun B2
unprecedented
adjective C1
Advanced or less common
precedential
adjective
Expressions
No expressions linked to this entry yet.