precedence

noun

pre·​ce·​dence ˈpre-sə-dən(t)s  pri-ˈsē-dᵊn(t)s 

1

a

: priority of importance

your safety takes precedence

b

: the right to superior honor on a ceremonial or formal occasion

c

: the order of ceremonial or formal preference

2

a

: the fact of coming or occurring earlier in time

b

obsolete : antecedent

Synonyms

• priority

Examples of precedence in a Sentence

Americans, Adams now believed, were as driven by the passions for wealth and precedence as any people in history. Ambition, avarice, and resentment, not virtue and benevolence, were the stuff of American society. —Gordon S. Wood, Revolutionary Characters, 2006

So, too, did most accept that all economies are characterized by struggles for power and precedence among men and institutions run by men; in other words, that all economies are fundamentally political in nature. —Barry C. Lynn, Harper's, July 2006

Jefferson abolished precedence and placement at White House dinners to emphasize that all guests were equal, but his system—he called it "pell-mell"—was abandoned, and we have guests of honor and use place cards today. —Naomi Bliven, New York Times Book Review, 12 Sept. 1999

his merchandise order takes precedence because we received it first

Recent Examples on the Web

This was a sensible decision at the time, whether for reasons of NHL precedence, respect for the Thrashers organization, or inclusion of Thrashers fans who followed Atlanta to Winnipeg. —Murat Ates, New York Times, 25 Oct. 2025

Sasse said there were 22 examples of incorrect citations to legal precedence. —City News Service, Oc Register, 24 Oct. 2025

For Capone, this high precedence of pinworm was incredibly surprising, given that the samples were over 1,000 years old and the DNA would have been highly degraded over such a long period of time. —Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 22 Oct. 2025

Fiorani said that takes precedence over profitability in order to maintain market share. —Jamie L. Lareau, USA Today, 20 Oct. 2025

Word History

Etymology

see precede

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2b

Phrases Containing precedence

• give precedence to
• have/take precedence over

Kids Definition

precedence

noun

pre·​ce·​dence ˈpres-əd-ən(t)s  pri-ˈsēd-ᵊn(t)s 

1

: the act or fact of preceding (as in time)

2

: consideration based on order of importance : priority

your safety takes precedence