Precursor: meaning, definitions and examples

Use this when referring to something that comes before another and indicates the approach of something else, usually in a scientific or technical context.

• Lightning is often a precursor to thunder.
• The discovery of penicillin was a precursor to modern antibiotics.

This is best used when talking about someone or something that came before and paved the way for others, often implying direct influence.

• The telegraph was a forerunner of modern communication technologies.
• His innovative paintings are seen as forerunners of modern art.

This term is most suitable when referring to a person who held a particular position or role before the current holder, often in a professional or official context.

• My predecessor worked here for ten years before retiring.
• The predecessor model of this car was not as fuel-efficient.

This word is appropriate when you are discussing something that logically precedes another, often in a historical or formal context.

• The antecedent events that led to the war are complex.
• In grammar, the noun 'Jane' is the antecedent to the pronoun 'she'.

Used when referring to something that precedes and indicates the approach of another. Often in scientific, technological, or historical contexts.

• The horseless carriage was a precursor to the modern automobile.
• These early studies are a precursor to more in-depth research.

Commonly used when indicating something that foreshadows a change or event, often with a neutral or slightly negative connotation.

• The sudden drop in temperature was a harbinger of the approaching storm.
• The new policies are seen as harbingers of change in the company.

Generally refers to a sign or event believed to predict the future, often with a mystical or superstitious nuance and sometimes with a negative connotation.

• The black cat crossing her path was considered an omen of bad luck.
• The strange lights in the sky were taken as an omen of an impending disaster.

A general term for any indication or evidence of something, broadly applicable in many contexts including everyday life, medicine, and literature.

• The patient's symptoms were a sign of a serious infection.
• The first flowers blooming were a sign that spring had arrived.

Used to indicate something that comes before another and often suggests a development or a sign of something that will come later.

• The invention of the steam engine was a precursor to the Industrial Revolution

Suggests something or someone that comes before and indicates the approach of another; can also mean a less developed form of something that later becomes more prominent.

• The telegraph was a forerunner to modern communication systems

Used to talk about someone or something that held a position or role before another; most commonly used in professional or technical contexts.

• The new model of the phone has many improvements compared to its predecessor

Typically used in formal or academic settings to describe something that precedes another in time, order, or logic. Often refers to historical or logical precedence.

• The Renaissance was an antecedent to the Age of Enlightenment