This is the 4325th most frequent Japanese word.
前身
"前身" means "predecessor" or "previous form."
In this sentence, '前身' refers to a person's previous state or occupation, used to describe someone's past identity.
彼の前身は芸術家だった。
His former self was an artist.
Here, '前身' signifies the former organizational state or entity from which the current one evolved.
この会社の前身は小規模な工房だった。
The predecessor of this company was a small workshop.
In this instance, '前身' refers to the historical state or condition of an individual or entity, from their origins to the present circumstances.