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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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of precedence
Trump may attempt to revive Section 338 of the antiquated 1930 Smoot-Hawley Tariff Act, which theoretically allows the president to hit discriminatory countries with tariffs of up to 50%, but Ashworth sees courts ruling that the explicit provisions of the 1974 Trade Act would take legal precedence.
—
Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 20 Feb. 2026
Development takes precedence over regulations in order to stay ahead.
—Eleanor Dearman, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 14 Feb. 2026
But the selection priority — proximity of group-stage matches took precedence for teams in the same pot — pushed Argentina and the Netherlands to the front of the line.
—Sam McDowell February 13, Kansas City Star, 13 Feb. 2026
Under the constitutional clause, federal law takes precedence over any conflicting state or local law, rendering the lower-level law unenforceable.
—Bonny Chu, FOXNews.com, 9 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for precedence
Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 20 Feb. 2026
Development takes precedence over regulations in order to stay ahead.
—Eleanor Dearman, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 14 Feb. 2026
But the selection priority — proximity of group-stage matches took precedence for teams in the same pot — pushed Argentina and the Netherlands to the front of the line.
—Sam McDowell February 13, Kansas City Star, 13 Feb. 2026
Under the constitutional clause, federal law takes precedence over any conflicting state or local law, rendering the lower-level law unenforceable.
—Bonny Chu, FOXNews.com, 9 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for precedence
Recent Examples of Synonyms for precedence
priority
Noun
-
Others argue that Beijing’s short-term priority is focusing more on AI adoption than development.—
Jeronimo Gonzalez,
semafor.com,
13 Mar. 2026
-
March 21 – April 19 When priorities pull, choose a steady pace.—
Tarot.com,
Baltimore Sun,
13 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Precedence.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/precedence. Accessed 14 Mar. 2026.
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