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
If the disappointing-technology hype cycles that preceded large language models—cryptocurrency booms and busts, Web3 and the metaverse—felt like solutions in search of a problem, generative AI seemed to offer limitless applications.
—Charlie Warzel, The Atlantic, 30 Nov. 2025
The collections, which largely preceded the establishment and expansion of Miami’s principal art museums, were key in enticing the Swiss Art Basel fair to launch its ballyhooed Miami Beach edition in 2002.
—Andres Viglucci, Miami Herald, 30 Nov. 2025
Takaichi’s remarks were preceded by a meeting with the Taiwanese representative on the sidelines of the APEC Summit in South Korea.
—Jeff Kingston, Time, 30 Nov. 2025
The conclusion of the original trilogy has many loose ends to tie up, not the least of which is the preceding chapter’s familial twist.
—Katie Rife, Entertainment Weekly, 30 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for precede
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Charlie Warzel, The Atlantic, 30 Nov. 2025
The collections, which largely preceded the establishment and expansion of Miami’s principal art museums, were key in enticing the Swiss Art Basel fair to launch its ballyhooed Miami Beach edition in 2002.
—Andres Viglucci, Miami Herald, 30 Nov. 2025
Takaichi’s remarks were preceded by a meeting with the Taiwanese representative on the sidelines of the APEC Summit in South Korea.
—Jeff Kingston, Time, 30 Nov. 2025
The conclusion of the original trilogy has many loose ends to tie up, not the least of which is the preceding chapter’s familial twist.
—Katie Rife, Entertainment Weekly, 30 Nov. 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 6 Dec. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
precede
verb
pre·cede
pri-ˈsēd 
preceded; preceding
: to be, go, or come before (as in rank, position, or time)
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share