as in priority
the right to one's attention before other things considered less important
his merchandise order takes precedence because we received it first
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Recent Examples of precedence
Guthrie was set to be in Italy for the opening, but the search for the elder Guthrie, who has not been seen or heard from in almost a week, obviously took precedence.
—
Dominic Patten, Deadline, 6 Feb. 2026
Christiansen said the local historic precedence of antebellum community activism should help inspire people today.
—Jesse Wright, Chicago Tribune, 5 Feb. 2026
As in many a Murphy project, spectacle takes precedence over complexity.
—Jackson McHenry, Vulture, 4 Feb. 2026
The winter weather happening that day took precedence over everything.
—Adam Harrington, CBS News, 2 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for precedence
Dominic Patten, Deadline, 6 Feb. 2026
Christiansen said the local historic precedence of antebellum community activism should help inspire people today.
—Jesse Wright, Chicago Tribune, 5 Feb. 2026
As in many a Murphy project, spectacle takes precedence over complexity.
—Jackson McHenry, Vulture, 4 Feb. 2026
The winter weather happening that day took precedence over everything.
—Adam Harrington, CBS News, 2 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for precedence
Recent Examples of Synonyms for precedence
priority
Noun
-
There’s agreement on subsidizing child care providers All candidates agreed that the state needed to further subsidize child care providers and extend family leave but offered varying answers on how to fund those priorities.—
Lia Russell
Updated February 19,
Sacbee.com,
19 Feb. 2026
-
The development of Cooper Flagg and the rest of the team’s young core will be the priority for the rest of the season, regardless of any game’s final score.—
Mike Curtis,
Dallas Morning News,
19 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Precedence.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/precedence. Accessed 26 Feb. 2026.
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