precede Definition
- 1to come before something in time, order, or rank
- 2to be more important than something else
Using precede: Examples
Take a moment to familiarize yourself with how "precede" can be used in various situations through the following examples!
Example
The opening act will precede the main performance.
Example
The letter 'A' precedes the letter 'B' in the alphabet.
Example
The president's speech will precede the award ceremony.
Example
In importance, safety should always precede convenience.
precede Synonyms and Antonyms
Idioms Using precede
Example
I'll let you precede me in line since you only have one item.
Example
Before making any decisions, it's important to precede with caution and consider all possible outcomes.
precede someone's footsteps
to follow in someone's path or imitate their actions
Example
As a child, she always wanted to precede her mother's footsteps and become a doctor.
Phrases with precede
Example
In the preceding year, the company had a record profit.
Example
As mentioned in the preceding paragraph, the company had a record profit.
the generation that came before the current one
Example
The technology of the preceding generation is now obsolete.
Origins of precede
from Old French 'preceder', from Latin 'praecedere', from 'prae-' meaning 'before' + 'cedere' meaning 'to go'
Summary: precede in Brief
'Precede' [priːˈsiːd] means to come before something in time, order, or rank, or to be more important than something else. It can refer to events, objects, or concepts, as in 'The opening act will precede the main performance.' 'Precede' also appears in phrases like 'preceding year,' 'let precede,' and idioms like 'precede with caution,' which means to approach something carefully and with awareness of potential risks.