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
Perimenopause, the transitional stage preceding menopause, is marked by biological changes and fluctuating levels of the hormones estrogen and progesterone.
—Anna Giorgi, Verywell Health, 14 May 2026
What made this night so weird was what preceded it.
—Troy Renck, Denver Post, 14 May 2026
The News has reached out to Bath Village Police for additional information regarding the events preceding the arrest and who Comstock is accused of stalking.
—Jami Ganz, New York Daily News, 13 May 2026
In the middle of all that, though, one of the ways the earnest Caglianone stayed grounded was by filling notebooks with the wisdom of both those around him and those who preceded him — such as Alex Gordon and Brett.
—Kansas City Star, 13 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for precede
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Anna Giorgi, Verywell Health, 14 May 2026
What made this night so weird was what preceded it.
—Troy Renck, Denver Post, 14 May 2026
The News has reached out to Bath Village Police for additional information regarding the events preceding the arrest and who Comstock is accused of stalking.
—Jami Ganz, New York Daily News, 13 May 2026
In the middle of all that, though, one of the ways the earnest Caglianone stayed grounded was by filling notebooks with the wisdom of both those around him and those who preceded him — such as Alex Gordon and Brett.
—Kansas City Star, 13 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for precede
Cite this Entry
“Precede.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/precede. Accessed 21 May. 2026.
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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