precede

verb

pre·​cede pri-ˈsēd 

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

Synonyms of precede

• predate

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

And the track is now streaming, preceding One Tribe Nation's July 25, 2026 performance at the Den Studios in Los Angeles as well as the release of the full-length album 'Estado Dorado' later this year. — Jim Ryan, Forbes.com, 22 July 2026

Demand in South Florida on game days and the nights preceding them totaled 297K nights, up 12% year over year. — Vinod Sreeharsha, Miami Herald, 22 July 2026

Reports from the Civil Aeronautics Board, which preceded the Federal Aviation Administration, also aided the search. — Landon Mion, FOXNews.com, 22 July 2026

That’s a big reason why crude never approached its 2022 prices or the record set in 2008, despite an oil shock several orders of magnitude larger than either of those preceding crises. — David Goldman, CNN Money, 21 July 2026

Word History

Etymology

Middle English preceden, borrowed from Anglo-French & Latin; Anglo-French preceder, borrowed from Latin praecēdere "to go in front (of), occur at an earlier time (than), come before, be superior (to), excel, surpass," from prae- pre- + cēdere "to go, move away, withdraw, yield" — more at cede

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 3

Rhymes for precede

• accede
• agreed
• airspeed
• alkyd
• bindweed
• chickweed
• concede
• decreed
• duckweed
• exceed
• flaxseed
• impede

Kids Definition

precede

verb

pre·​cede pri-ˈsēd 

preceded; preceding

: to be, go, or come before (as in rank, position, or time)