The new director of the observatory reviewed the detailed star charts left by her predecessor to plan the next survey.
天文台的新主任查阅了前任留下的详细星图，以规划下一次巡天观测。
- The James Webb Space Telescope observes primarily in infrared light, unlike its predecessor, the Hubble Space Telescope, which observes mainly in visible and ultraviolet light.
From a Rhetorical Synthesis question · Expression of Ideas
Which choice best defines “predecessor”?
C — A person who held a job or position before someone else. “predecessor” means a person who held a job or position before someone else.
Which word means “a person who held a job or position before someone else”?
D — predecessor. “predecessor” means a person who held a job or position before someone else.
predecessor — a person who held a job or position before someone else. In Chinese: 前任，前辈.
predecessor is pronounced /ˈprɛdəsɛsər/.
The new director of the observatory reviewed the detailed star charts left by her predecessor to plan the next survey. (天文台的新主任查阅了前任留下的详细星图，以规划下一次巡天观测。)
forerunner, antecedent, precursor — all close in meaning to predecessor (a person who held a job or position before someone else).
successor, descendant — each the opposite of predecessor (a person who held a job or position before someone else).
Yes. predecessor is on the SAT Prep Basic list — the everyday academic words the SAT assumes you already have. The Digital SAT does not test vocabulary in isolation; words like this one are tested through Words in Context questions, where you choose the word that completes a passage most logically and precisely.