preceded; preceding
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
: 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.
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
Korda then preceded to three-putt, including missing a 2-footer for par.
—ABC News, 6 Apr. 2026
Dinner is preceded by a fireside drinks hour, which gives guests a chance to connect with each other and share highlights from the day’s game drives while sipping cocktails made with muddled herbs (grown on-site, of course).
—Alaina Chou, Bon Appetit Magazine, 6 Apr. 2026
Unlike the overheated adjectives that preceded it, this bit of legerdemain is a proper noun.
—Bruce Stockler, Fortune, 5 Apr. 2026
Their roughly six-hour lunar flyby promises views of the moon’s far side that were too dark or too difficult to see by the 24 Apollo astronauts who preceded them.
—Marcia Dunn, Los Angeles Times, 5 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for precede
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ABC News, 6 Apr. 2026
Dinner is preceded by a fireside drinks hour, which gives guests a chance to connect with each other and share highlights from the day’s game drives while sipping cocktails made with muddled herbs (grown on-site, of course).
—Alaina Chou, Bon Appetit Magazine, 6 Apr. 2026
Unlike the overheated adjectives that preceded it, this bit of legerdemain is a proper noun.
—Bruce Stockler, Fortune, 5 Apr. 2026
Their roughly six-hour lunar flyby promises views of the moon’s far side that were too dark or too difficult to see by the 24 Apollo astronauts who preceded them.
—Marcia Dunn, Los Angeles Times, 5 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for precede
Cite this Entry
“Precede.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/precede. Accessed 8 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
precede
verb
pre·cede
pri-ˈsēd 
preceded; preceding
: to be, go, or come before (as in rank, position, or time)
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