precursors

NOUN

something that indicates outcome or event beforehand

Synonyms

STRONGEST

forerunner harbinger

STRONG

herald messenger outrider usher vanguard

NOUN

something that precedes another

Synonyms

STRONGEST

forerunner prototype

STRONG

ancestor antecedent forebear original originator parent pioneer predecessor

WEAK

antecessor foregoer

Antonyms

STRONG

derivative descendant

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.

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

The research, published in the journal Advanced Materials, introduces a scalable method for producing these nanoscrolls from MXene precursors while precisely controlling their shape and chemical composition.

From Science Daily • Mar. 31, 2026

This is a problem the EU and its precursors have been thinking about for a long time.

From Barron's • Mar. 30, 2026

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

From "Educated" by Tara Westover