precede

verb

pre·​cede pri-ˈsēd How to pronounce precede (audio)
preceded; preceding

transitive verb

1
: to surpass in rank, dignity, or importance
2
: to be, go, or come ahead or in front of
3
: to be earlier than
4
: to cause to be preceded : preface

intransitive verb

: to go or come before

Examples of precede in a Sentence

Minutes before 10:30 p.m. in China, the stadium pulsed with the emotions that always precede a 100-meter final. Tim Layden, Sports Illustrated, 25 Aug. 2008
But research has now shown that so-called responses to rhythm actually precede the external beat. We anticipate the beat … Oliver Sacks, Musicophilia, 2007
The print media ape the manners of television, and on television form precedes content, emotion replaces thought, legend substitutes for history, fiction dictates to fact. Lewis H. Lapham, Harper's, September 1998
Riots preceded the civil war. She preceded him into the room. The country became more conservative in the years that preceded his election. The new mayor is very different from the person who preceded her in office. The meeting was preceded by a brief welcoming speech. The chairman preceded the meeting with a brief welcoming speech.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
While sentiment has soured and some oversold conditions preceded Friday’s rebound, key indicators had only begun to hint at a possible capitulative washout. Michael Santoli, CNBC, 15 Mar. 2025 That incident was preceded by deadly crashes this year in Alaska, Philadelphia and Washington, DC, where an American Airlines plane collided midair with a US Army Black Hawk helicopter in January, killing 67 people. Tricia Escobedo, CNN, 14 Mar. 2025 Released in June of 2020, Jessie Ware’s disco-inspired What’s Your Pleasure? was actually made over the two years preceding it, but it might as well have been dreamed up in the handful of months between the March shutdowns and the summer doldrums. Vogue, 14 Mar. 2025 First introduced on the all-new California that launched last year, the new tablet-style screen replaces a smaller, less colorful touch panel of old and brings the Grand California a little closer to the superlatively futuristic concept camper that preceded it. New Atlas, 14 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for precede

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Middle French preceder, from Latin praecedere, from prae- pre- + cedere to go

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of precede was in the 15th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Precede.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/precede. Accessed 23 Mar. 2025.

Kids Definition

precede

verb
pre·​cede pri-ˈsēd How to pronounce precede (audio)
preceded; preceding
: to be, go, or come before (as in rank, position, or time)

More from Merriam-Webster on precede

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