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

However, Halliburton looks to have partially defied the drag from lower oil prices with stronger international revenue, despite a 7% fall in its North America sales from the preceding quarter.

From Barron's

They also point to data showing institutional allocation to stocks — $16 trillion — beat a high seen in 2007 “and has only been higher in the three quarters preceding the dot-com top.”

From MarketWatch

In the months preceding its filing, Saks executives reached out to Amazon about providing financing or even buying the company outright, according to one of the people.

From The Wall Street Journal

That begins with the T20 World Cup and a preceding white-ball tour of Sri Lanka, which starts in just two weeks' time.

From BBC

Tweedy, Browne provided a list of companies whose stocks were trading at trailing price/earnings ratios above 40 and that had been buying back shares over the preceding 12 months.

From MarketWatch

Related Words

• introductory
• previous
• prior