Synonyms of preceding

preceding 1 of 2

adjective

pri-ˈsē-diŋ 

as in previous

going before another in time or order

had not eaten since the preceding day

Synonyms & Similar Words

• previous
• prior
• earliest
• early
• precedent
• foregoing
• initial
• former
• antecedent
• anterior
• original
• first
• premature
• introductory
• preliminary
• advance
• inaugural
• pioneer
• preexisting
• maiden
• erstwhile
• whilom

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• subsequent
• following
• later
• ensuing
• after
• succeeding
• posterior
• last
• late
• final
• advanced
• latter
• latest
• concluding
• terminal
• ultimate
• closing

preceding

2 of 2

verb

present participle of precede

as in predating

to go or come before in time

there are two speeches which will precede yours

Synonyms & Similar Words

• predating
• foregoing
• antedating
• preexisting
• anteceding

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• following
• succeeding
• postdating

Synonym Chooser

How is the word preceding distinct from other similar adjectives?

Some common synonyms of preceding are antecedent, anterior, foregoing, former, previous, and prior. While all these words mean "being before," preceding usually implies being immediately before in time or in place.

the preceding sentence

Where would antecedent be a reasonable alternative to preceding?

While in some cases nearly identical to preceding, antecedent applies to order in time and may suggest a causal relation.

conditions antecedent to the revolution

When could anterior be used to replace preceding?

The meanings of anterior and preceding largely overlap; however, anterior applies to position before or ahead of usually in space, sometimes in time or order.

the anterior lobe of the brain

In what contexts can foregoing take the place of preceding?

While the synonyms foregoing and preceding are close in meaning, foregoing applies chiefly to statements.

the foregoing remarks

When is it sensible to use former instead of preceding?

In some situations, the words former and preceding are roughly equivalent. However, former implies always a definite comparison or contrast with something that is latter.

the former name of the company

How do previous and prior relate to one another, in the sense of preceding?

Both previous and prior imply existing or occurring earlier, but prior often adds an implication of greater importance.

a child from a previous marriage

a prior obligation

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of preceding

Adjective

As a result, far fewer people were arrested and deported from the border than in the preceding few years. —Albert Sun, New York Times, 18 Jan. 2026

Rather than drive viewers to keep watching, cliffhanger endings can accidentally foreground inaction in the preceding hour. —Ben Travers, IndieWire, 6 Nov. 2025

In the preceding month, Gamestop also closed its NFT marketplace, just months after removing support for its NFT wallet. —Nicholas Kitonyi, Forbes.com, 29 Apr. 2025

Most of those were seized on Oct. 7, 2023, but others were taken hostage in the preceding decade, and a substantial number are no longer alive. —Jerome Socolovsky, NPR, 19 Jan. 2025

During the preceding month, the platform was profiting off political ads from at least three of the lawmakers who signed the letter: Goldman, Schiff and Rep. Katie Porter (D-Calif.). —Aaron Schaffer, Washington Post, 11 Dec. 2023

The accolades, as well as the president's preceding remarks, came exactly two years after the riot, which saw a number of former President Donald Trump's supporters storm the U.S. Capitol in an effort the overturn the 2020 election. —Brigid Kennedy, The Week, 6 Jan. 2023

Lincecum had sneaked by Madison Bumgarner to advance in the preceding round, garnering 51% of the votes. —John Shea, SFChronicle.com, 5 Apr. 2020

Annual inflation has been just 1.8% on average, down from about 3.5% during the preceding 20 years and 4.5% in the two decades before that. —The Economist, 13 Feb. 2020

Verb

So throw out any conclusions about UCLA’s offense preceding this modification. —Aaron Heisen, Daily News, 24 Feb. 2026

Lunar New Year, known as Tet in Vietnam, and Mardi Gras, the bacchanalian celebration preceding the Catholic tradition of Lent, fell on the same day. —Sean Timberlake, Sacbee.com, 20 Feb. 2026

For a nonprofit predicated on the value of accountability, Remake’s IRS filings revealed a few cracks in the armor preceding its collapse. —Alexandra Harrell, Sourcing Journal, 19 Feb. 2026

Lent is a 40-day period preceding Easter weekend where Catholics fast, pray and may abstain from indulgence, like drinking alcohol or eating meat. —Carlie Procell, USA Today, 18 Feb. 2026

Reservations for the rest of the season go on sale the first day of the preceding month. —John Meyer, Denver Post, 18 Feb. 2026

Public schools are often closed the preceding Friday or the following week as part of spring break, depending on the district calendar. —Dante Motley, Austin American Statesman, 18 Feb. 2026

Derry Girls, which followed teens in McGee’s native Derry in the years preceding 1998’s Good Friday Agreement, was a raucous, joke-dense show that juxtaposed mundane adolescent rites of passage with the daily horrors of life in Northern Ireland during the Troubles. —Judy Berman, Time, 13 Feb. 2026

The Cuban government said the planes had invaded their sovereign airspace following incidents in the preceding months in which Brothers to the Rescue planes had dropped political leaflets over Havana. —Claire Heddles, Miami Herald, 13 Feb. 2026