precursornoun [ C ]
uk/ˌpriːˈkɜː.sər/us/ˌpriːˈkɝː.sɚ/formalsomething that happened or existed before another thing, especially if it either developed into it or had an influence on it:
Sulphur dioxide is the main precursor of acid rain.
Biological research has often been a precursor to medical breakthroughs.
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Preceding and introducing
- announce
- antedate
- beat
- build-up
- countdown
- curtain-raiser
- emcee
- forerunner
- introduce
- introduction
- introductory
- lead 1
- lead up to sth
- lead-in
- preamble
- predecessor
- preface
- preliminary
- prelude
- usher
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