precede
verb
pre·cede
| \ pri-ˈsēd
\
\
preceded;
preceding
Definition of precede
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
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Synonyms & Antonyms for precede
Synonyms
antecede, antedate, forego, predate, preexist
Antonyms
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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.
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Recent Examples on the Web
For all the hand-wringing that preceded the Libyan intervention, no one in the Obama White House seems to have given serious consideration to what would happen if a civil war broke out. — Dexter Filkins, The New Yorker, "The Moral Logic of Humanitarian Intervention," 9 Sep. 2019 The question of her actual fidelity surfaced much more recently in tabloid newspaper stories about her and Tim Mynett that preceded Beth Mynett’s allegation in divorce papers. — Dave Orrick, Twin Cities, "Political strategist denies telling wife of alleged Ilhan Omar affair," 5 Sep. 2019 First, because all the Blazers red flags this summer sound awfully similar to worries that preceded the past few Portland seasons as well. — Andrew Sharp, SI.com, "Giannis, Jokic and a Guide to the 2020 NBA MVP Odds," 4 Sep. 2019 The two-minute trailer really only delivers about one minute of new footage after a quick montage of the eight films that preceded The Rise of Skywalker, which hits theaters December 20. — Darren Orf, Popular Mechanics, "We Need to Talk About Rey in the New 'Rise of Skywalker' Trailer," 26 Aug. 2019 In the past, inverted yield curves that preceded a recession were accompanied by the Fed raising interest rates. — Erik Sherman, Fortune, "‘Bizarro World’: Behind the Normally Staid Bond Market’s Weird, Wild Summer," 23 Aug. 2019 Dozens of teenagers and adults, many of whom have attempted suicide, are signing on for 24-hour-a-day digital tracking to help researchers decipher patterns that precede suicidal behavior. — Jennifer Couzin-frankel, Science | AAAS, "My younger sister died by suicide. Can science succeed in helping others?," 20 Aug. 2019 What is more, there has been little sign of the heady exuberance that normally precedes a slump. — The Economist, "Markets are braced for a global downturn," 17 Aug. 2019 The orbs are visual auras (not to be confused with the spiritual term of the same spelling)—the kind that typically precede a migraine or seizure. — Sunny Fitzgerald, Glamour, "It Took a 400-Mile Trek for Me to Finally Stop Resenting My Body," 14 Aug. 2019These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'precede.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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More Definitions for precede
precede
verb
English Language Learners Definition of precede
somewhat formal
: to happen, go, or come before (something or someone)
: to do or say something before (something)
See the full definition for precede in the English Language Learners Dictionary
precede
verb
pre·cede
| \ pri-ˈsēd
\
\
preceded;
preceding
Kids Definition of precede
: to be or go before in importance, position, or time
Many failures preceded her success.
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