precursor

Definitions

A person or thing that comes before another of the same kind; a forerunner.

A substance from which another, usually more active or mature substance, is formed.

Examples

A lack of sleep is often a precursor to poor performance at work.

The discovery of the new chemical compound was a vital precursor to the development of the vaccine.

Many historians view the economic crisis of the 1920s as a precursor to the Great Depression.

Synonyms

forerunner predecessor harbinger herald pioneer antecedent progenitor

Antonyms

successor descendant offspring result consequence sequel aftermath