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
The effects of what both preceded and followed a ban the industry saw coming are being felt to this day, and are unlikely to go away any time soon.
—Gaurav Sharma, Forbes.com, 20 Aug. 2025
Look no further than the Super Bowl and preceding postseason games for proof.
—Mike Jones, New York Times, 19 Aug. 2025
To spot Mercury, look to the east in the hour preceding dawn.
—Anthony Wood, Space.com, 18 Aug. 2025
The record is indeed best described by that all-encompassing word, experimental, but here Dijon occupies a space closer to traditional R&B, concluding the sonic excursion of the preceding half-hour with a thematic summation.
—Jeff Ihaza, Rolling Stone, 18 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for precede
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
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Gaurav Sharma, Forbes.com, 20 Aug. 2025
Look no further than the Super Bowl and preceding postseason games for proof.
—Mike Jones, New York Times, 19 Aug. 2025
To spot Mercury, look to the east in the hour preceding dawn.
—Anthony Wood, Space.com, 18 Aug. 2025
The record is indeed best described by that all-encompassing word, experimental, but here Dijon occupies a space closer to traditional R&B, concluding the sonic excursion of the preceding half-hour with a thematic summation.
—Jeff Ihaza, Rolling Stone, 18 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for precede
Cite this Entry
“Precede.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/precede. Accessed 22 Aug. 2025.
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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