preceding

American  

[pri-see-ding] / prɪˈsi dɪŋ /

adjective

1. that precedes; previous.

   Refer back to the footnote on the preceding page.

   Synonyms:

   former, prior, foregoing

   Antonyms:

   following, succeeding

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preceding British  

/ prɪˈsiːdɪŋ /

adjective

1. (prenominal) going or coming before; former

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Usage

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.

Etymology

Origin of preceding

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

Example Sentences

Three times in the preceding two weeks, the Dow crossed the mark during the day but fell back by the close.

From The Wall Street Journal

As with stocks, what went up the most in the months preceding the war fell the most as investors pulled back.

From The Wall Street Journal

Euro zone inflation rose to 1.9% in February from 1.7% in January, preceding the full impact of the Middle East conflict.

From Barron's

On Thursday, Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defense said five Chinese aircraft had been spotted in the preceding 24 hours around the island, in addition to six vessels from China’s navy.

From The Wall Street Journal

The company disclosed Monday that it had purchased nearly $1.3 billion worth of Bitcoin in the preceding week as the prices of cryptocurrencies broadly wavered.

From Barron's

Related Words

• introductory
• previous
• prior