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
Details about the victims and the circumstances that preceded the crash remained slim Thursday morning, nearly 24 hours later.
—Eric Lagatta, USA TODAY, 20 Feb. 2025
Yet the tense meeting that preceded that decision highlighted the discord and division at the top of French football.
—Tom Burrows, The Athletic, 20 Feb. 2025
It has been corrupted over time into something like a generalized celebration of Donald Trump, Joe Biden, and the other 43 highly varied men who preceded them in holding the nation’s highest office.
—The Editors, National Review, 17 Feb. 2025
The hour-long red carpet special that preceded the event drew 6.5 million viewers across NBC, Peacock and E!
—Matt Webb Mitovich, TVLine, 17 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for precede
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Eric Lagatta, USA TODAY, 20 Feb. 2025
Yet the tense meeting that preceded that decision highlighted the discord and division at the top of French football.
—Tom Burrows, The Athletic, 20 Feb. 2025
It has been corrupted over time into something like a generalized celebration of Donald Trump, Joe Biden, and the other 43 highly varied men who preceded them in holding the nation’s highest office.
—The Editors, National Review, 17 Feb. 2025
The hour-long red carpet special that preceded the event drew 6.5 million viewers across NBC, Peacock and E!
—Matt Webb Mitovich, TVLine, 17 Feb. 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 27 Feb. 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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