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precursor

[pri-kur-ser, pree-kur-] / prɪˈkɜr sər, ˈpri kɜr- /
NOUN
something that indicates outcome or event beforehand
Synonyms




Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

MeerKAT serves as a precursor telescope for that facility.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 9, 2026

However, the move should not be seen as a precursor to a repaired relationship between Harry and his brother, the Prince of Wales.

From BBC ● Aug. 20, 2026

Newton notes the Russell 3000 McClellan Summation Index — a breadth indicator — is sitting near its June peak and while, drifting sideways, hasn’t nosedived, which is often the precursor to a bigger downturn.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 19, 2026

A 2021 study from the Orthopedic Journal of Sports Medicine, however, showed that decreases in fastball velocity are an extremely common precursor of elbow problems that result in Tommy John surgery.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 14, 2026

“Anger. Very nice. Useless to me, alas, but as it is so often a precursor to sorrow, I confess that I do like it.”

From "The Girl Who Drank the Moon" by Kelly Barnhill

Directed by Henry Winkler and co-starring Lee Majors as Mountain Dan, it may be one of the earliest precursors to the Hallmark holiday-style movies.

From Salon ● Aug. 26, 2026

“The use of the books at issue to train Claude and its precursors was exceedingly transformative and was a fair use,” Alsup noted in his earlier judgment.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 23, 2026

The White House document claimed they had discussed Chinese investment in U.S. industries, purchases of U.S. oil and agricultural products, and ending the flow of fentanyl precursors into the U.S.

From Slate ● May 16, 2026

U.S. officials want China’s help going after the makers of precursors, though Washington has long been frustrated by what officials have viewed as Beijing dragging its feet.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 3, 2026

This speech would stay with me in a way that a hundred of its precursors had not.

From "Educated" by Tara Westover




Vocabulary lists containing precursor


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