n .
someone or something that precedes in time 시간적으로 앞선 사람이나 사물, 선배, 전임자

• "My predecessor left this office rather messy," Mr. Griggs apologized as he led his associates past a pile of dusty boxes.
• His predecessor had been so beloved by the nation that the new president resigned himself to being viewed as inferior.
  전임자가 온 국민들로부터 너무나 많은 사랑을 받았기 때문에, 시임 대통령은 그보다 모자란 사람으로 취급받는 것을 감수할 수밖에 없었다.
• The new model of the minivan is a wonderful vehicle, but its predecessor was riddled with engineering flaws.
  새로운 모델의 미니밴은 굉장히 멋진 차이다. 그러나, 전 모델은 기계적 결함이 많았다.
• Just as a predecessor comes before, a successor comes after. People who hadn't liked the old minivan where pleased by its successor because the manufacturer had eliminated most of the engineering flaws that had plagued the earlier vehicle.