Precursor is an adjective that qualifies something that advertises itself, that is about to happen or that occurs before the appearance of a certain thing, as a sign or warning, for example.
When stating that a person was a precursor of something, it means that it was the pioneer to present a certain idea, behavior or action.
And, as said, precursor can still represent what announces the manifestation of something or what is capable of originating a certain thing later on.
Example: "Yesterday's food was a harbinger of widespread food infection".
In Chemistry, the precursor is any compound that is part of a chemical reaction, originating from this a new compound.
See also:meaning of pioneer.
Precursor and Forerunner
Many people confuse the words precursor and precursor with each other. Both exist in the Portuguese language, but have totally different meanings.
Precursor, as stated earlier, refers to what comes before a certain thing. The word precursor, on the other hand, refers to the act of taking a route, that is, the action of following a path.
Examples: "This boy was the forerunner of this musical genre in our country" | "The marathon precursor got lost along the way."
Precursor Synonyms
Among some of the main synonyms for precursor, the following stand out:
- Front;
- Predecessor;
- Predecessor;
- Launcher;
- progon;
- Antesignan;
- Pioneer;
- Avant-garde;
- Foreshadowing;
- Anticipator;
- Prognosis;
- Index;
- Prodrome.
On the other hand, the precursor antonyms are: successor, heir and heir.