precedence

pre·ce·dence | \ ˈpre-sə-dən(t)s

How to pronounce precedence (audio)

, pri-ˈsē-dᵊn(t)s

How to pronounce precedence (audio)

\

Definition of precedence

1a : 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

2a : the fact of coming or occurring earlier in time

b obsolete : antecedent

Synonyms More Example Sentences Learn More about precedence

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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 Associated Oregon Industries brought a federal suit on behalf of Oregon employers, arguing that the National Labor Relations Act takes precedence and that the state law violates employers’ free speech rights. — oregonlive, "National Labor Relations Board sues Oregon, wants judge to nullify state’s workplace meeting law," 8 Feb. 2020 Growth, though, should take precedence, according to Nagaraj. — Pramod Mathew, Quartz India, "These ten charts tell you everything about the Indian economy ahead of Budget 2020," 30 Jan. 2020 Most of these workers were recruited as policy professionals, since planning for the UK’s departure from the EU took precedence during the past three years. — Adam Rasmi, Quartz, "Brexit has reversed a decades-long drop in the size of the UK’s civil service," 22 Jan. 2020 Nails starred at the 2020 Grammy Awards red carpet on Sunday, with eye-catching nail art taking precedence over outrageous makeup or hair styles. — Rachel Marlowe, The Hollywood Reporter, "Extravagant Nail Art Stole the Show at the Grammy Awards," 27 Jan. 2020 The resounding answer in phase one is that Trump got his way: Reducing the trade deficit has taken precedence over all else. — Daniel Tenreiro, National Review, "Phase One of the China Trade Agreement in Context," 23 Jan. 2020 Responding to uncontrolled wildfires obviously takes precedence over prescribed burns, both in terms of staffing and funding. — Scott K. Johnson, Ars Technica, "Why isn’t California using more prescribed burns to reduce fire risk?," 21 Jan. 2020 San Francisco’s just-cause provisions, which are more protective, would take precedence over the new state law. — Kathleen Pender, SFChronicle.com, "More details on new San Francisco and California renter-protection laws," 16 Jan. 2020 Yes, the devastating fires decimating Australia deserved to take precedence, but Time’s Up’s work deserved mention. — Anne Cohen, refinery29.com, "The 2020 Golden Globes Took One Step Forward, Five Steps Back," 7 Jan. 2020

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'precedence.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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Dictionary Entries near precedence

precedent condition

Statistics for precedence

Last Updated

15 Feb 2020

Cite this Entry

“Precedence.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/precedence. Accessed 26 Feb. 2020.

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