• (America, RP) IPA: /pɹəˈsiːd/, /pɹɪˈsiːd/, /pɹiːˈsiːd/

precede (precedes, present participle preceding; past and past participle preceded)

1. (transitive) To go before, go in front of.

   Cultural genocide precedes physical genocide.

   • 1667, John Milton, “Book IX”, in Paradise Lost. A Poem Written in Ten Books, London: Printed [by Samuel Simmons], and are to be sold by Peter Parker […] [a]nd by Robert Boulter […] [a]nd Matthias Walker, […], OCLC 228722708 ↗; republished as Paradise Lost in Ten Books: The Text Exactly Reproduced from the First Edition of 1667: […], London: Basil Montagu Pickering […], 1873, OCLC 230729554 ↗:

     But harm precedes not sin: onely our Foe / Tempting affronts us with his foul esteem / Of our integritie

   • 1749, Henry Fielding, chapter I, in The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling. In Six Volumes, volume (please specify ), London: Printed by A[ndrew] Millar, […], OCLC 928184292 ↗, book IV:

2. (transitive) To cause to be preceded; to preface; to introduce.
   • 1832, James Kent, Commentaries on American Law, Volume 1, page 52

     It has been usual to precede hostilities by a public declaration communicated to the enemy.

3. (transitive) To have higher rank than (someone or something else).

• (go before) forego; see also Thesaurus:precede

• (go before) succeed; see also Thesaurus:succeed

• precedence
• precedent
• unprecedented

• French: précéder
• German: vorangehen, vorausgehen
• Italian: precedere
• Portuguese: preceder, anteceder
• Russian: предше́ствовать
• Spanish: preceder, anteceder

• French: précéder
• Portuguese: preceder
• Russian: превосходи́ть

precede (plural precedes)

1. Brief editorial preface (usually to an article or essay)