precede

[ pri-seed ]

See synonyms for precede on Thesaurus.com

verb (used with object),pre·ced·ed, pre·ced·ing.

to go before, as in place, order, rank, importance, or time.
to introduce by something preliminary; preface: to precede one's statement with a qualification.

verb (used without object),pre·ced·ed, pre·ced·ing.

to go or come before.

noun

Journalism. copy printed at the beginning of a news story presenting late bulletins, editorial notes, or prefatory remarks.

Origin of precede

First recorded in 1325–75; Middle English preceden, from Latin praecēdere; see pre-, cede

Other words from precede

pre·ced·a·ble, adjective

Words that may be confused with precede

precede , proceed

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use precede in a sentence

It is matched six months away by the festival of May Day and by the eve of Walpurgis Night which precedes it.
Joseph Campbell on the Roots of Halloween | Joseph Campbell | October 31, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
Sheldon becomes a professor, but no students sign up for his class because his reputation as being insufferable precedes him.
It’s OK to Like ‘The Big Bang Theory’ | Kevin Fallon | September 23, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
An aura is a warning symptom, or set of symptoms, that precedes an oncoming migraine.
How to Destroy Your Headaches | Dr. Anand Veeravagu, MD, Tej Azad | June 23, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
“When you are as brazen and persistent and widespread as China, your reputation precedes you,” Chabinsky said.
Were the Chinese the ‘State-Sponsored Attackers’ Trying to Hack Me? | Eli Lake | February 20, 2013 | THE DAILY BEAST
But FYMW precedes the entire movement that is, season after season, constantly growing and evolving.
Fuck Yeah Menswear Becomes a Book | Benjamin Schor | November 6, 2012 | THE DAILY BEAST

The main incident should be more important than each incident that precedes it.
English: Composition and Literature | W. F. (William Franklin) Webster
Certainty of meaning precedes frequency of use; and this necessary confidence 238 is gained from a study of the dictionary.
English: Composition and Literature | W. F. (William Franklin) Webster
Several days passed away very quietly and uneventfully—the quiet that precedes the storm.
They Looked and Loved | Mrs. Alex McVeigh Miller
We are struck, however, with the similarity of this blessing to that which precedes it; nor is the similarity surprising.
Separation and Service | James Hudson Taylor
Then came the home-sickness, which so often precedes dissolution.
Art in England | Dutton Cook

British Dictionary definitions for precede

precede

/ (prɪˈsiːd) /

verb

to go or be before (someone or something) in time, place, rank, etc
(tr) to preface or introduce

Origin of precede

C14: via Old French from Latin praecēdere to go before, from prae before + cēdere to move

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

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