precursor
Americannoun
-
a person or thing that precedes, as in a job, a method, etc.; predecessor.
- Synonyms:
- forerunner
-
a person, animal, or thing that goes before and indicates the approach of someone or something else; harbinger.
The first robin is a precursor of spring.
- Synonyms:
- herald
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Chemistry, Biochemistry. a chemical that is transformed into another compound, as in the course of a chemical reaction, and therefore precedes that compound in the synthetic pathway.
Cholesterol is a precursor of testosterone.
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Biology. a cell or tissue that gives rise to a variant, specialized, or more mature form.
noun
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a person or thing that precedes and shows or announces someone or something to come; harbinger
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a predecessor or forerunner
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a chemical substance that gives rise to another more important substance
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of precursor
1375–1425; late Middle English < Latin praecursor forerunner. See pre-, cursor
Explanation
You've heard the old saying "Pride comes before the fall?" Well, you could just as easily say pride is a precursor to the fall. A precursor is something that happens before something else. You don't have to be a dead languages scholar to guess that this word springs from a Latin source — praecursor, "to run before." A precursor is usually related to what it precedes. It's a catalyst or a harbinger, leading to what follows or providing a clue that it's going to happen. Binging on holiday candy is a precursor to tummy aches and promises to exercise more. Draconian policies in unstable nations are often a precursor to rebellion.
Vocabulary lists containing precursor
Make a Run for It: Cur, Curs
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This Week in Pop Culture: February 16 - 22, 2019
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100 SAT words Beginning with "P"
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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:
Fat cells originate from precursor cells known as progenitor cells.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 3, 2026
Many analysts say the move to separate the companies is seen as a precursor to further mergers and acquisitions, although Comcast executives have denied that was a driving force behind their decision.
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 30, 2026
This field is considered the next frontier in practical quantum technology and the precursor to a quantum internet, akin to the classical networks that allow computers to communicate today.
From Barron's ● Jun. 30, 2026
He likely used optical devices, including a camera obscura, a precursor to the box camera.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 26, 2026
The reaction vessel is initially transparent: the precursor gases are entirely invisible.
From "Cosmos" by Carl Sagan
They are now looking to expand their own production of guncotton, and assessing alternative natural precursors to make it.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 20, 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
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
Like their precursors, they tend to be brash, confident, and unapologetic.
From "Class Matters" by The New York Times
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.