1. a person who held a job or office before the current holder
2. something that came before another thing in time or development

Examples

• The new CEO implemented policies very different from her predecessor.
• My predecessor left detailed notes about the project.
• The iPhone was much more advanced than its predecessors.
• This building replaced its 19th-century predecessor.
• The coach studied game footage from his predecessor’s tenure.
• The new software fixed bugs that plagued its predecessor.
• She inherited several ongoing cases from her predecessor.