preceding

[pri-see-ding]

adjective

1. that precedes; previous.

   Refer back to the footnote on the preceding page.

   Synonyms: former, prior, foregoing
   Antonyms: following, succeeding

preceding

/ prɪˈsiːdɪŋ /

adjective

1. (prenominal) going or coming before; former

Word History and Origins

Origin of preceding¹

First recorded in 1485–95; precede + -ing ²

Example Sentences

Those numbers haven’t yet been updated beyond September data, which showed that consumer prices had increased by 3% over the preceding 12 months.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

In 1898 the naturalist Alfred Russel Wallace published “The Wonderful Century,” a look back over the preceding hundred years.

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In the months preceding election day, the CCM government worked to systematically eliminate any credible competition, according to analysts.

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The onetime deputy prime minister of Canada—convicted and incarcerated as the leader of the conspiracy Armand pursued in the pages of the preceding novel—still insists he was framed.

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ProPublica examined months of Fox News’ coverage and reviewed more than 700 video clips posted to social media by protesters, counterprotesters and others in the three months preceding the Sept. 4 broadcast.

Read more on Salon

Related Words

• introductory 
• previous 
• prior 

When To Use

What does preceding mean?

Preceding means coming before. A close synonym is previous.As an adjective, preceding is always used before a noun, as in the preceding chapter. Preceding can also be used as the continuous tense (-ing form) of the verb precede, which means to come before.In most cases, the opposite of preceding is following, meaning coming after. For example, if you’re reading Chapter 7, the preceding chapter is Chapter 6, and the following chapter is Chapter 8.Example: The seventh book in the series features many of the same characters as the six preceding novels.