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
At least five other search engines preceded Google—all were initially better funded.
—Rich Karlgaard, Forbes, 4 Mar. 2025
The fatal shooting occurred around 5:30 p.m. Saturday and was preceded by two people running into the fast food chain's Boylston Street location as the knife-wielding man chased behind them, Michael Cox, commissioner and chief of the Boston Police Department, said during a news conference.
—Jonathan Limehouse, USA TODAY, 3 Mar. 2025
In Sheehy’s telling, the era immediately preceding her own had been the one in which menopause was the life stage that dare not speak its name.
—Rebecca Mead, The New Yorker, 3 Mar. 2025
Wednesday March 5 is Ash Wednesday, the start of roughly 40 days of the Lenten season that precedes Easter.
—Andrew Torgan, CNN, 2 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for precede
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Rich Karlgaard, Forbes, 4 Mar. 2025
The fatal shooting occurred around 5:30 p.m. Saturday and was preceded by two people running into the fast food chain's Boylston Street location as the knife-wielding man chased behind them, Michael Cox, commissioner and chief of the Boston Police Department, said during a news conference.
—Jonathan Limehouse, USA TODAY, 3 Mar. 2025
In Sheehy’s telling, the era immediately preceding her own had been the one in which menopause was the life stage that dare not speak its name.
—Rebecca Mead, The New Yorker, 3 Mar. 2025
Wednesday March 5 is Ash Wednesday, the start of roughly 40 days of the Lenten season that precedes Easter.
—Andrew Torgan, CNN, 2 Mar. 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 12 Mar. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
precede
verb
pre·cede
pri-ˈsēd 
preceded; preceding
: to be, go, or come before (as in rank, position, or time)
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