predecessor; people of former times
Refers to people who lived or worked before the present generation; often used in contexts of achievements, records, or historical comparison.
He achieved an unprecedented record.
This technology is the fruit of our predecessors' efforts.
untrodden; unprecedented
unprecedented; unheard-of; never before achieved
Compound of 前 (zen, 'before') and 人 (jin, 'person'). The reading is on'yomi, and the word is a straightforward Sino-Japanese formation.