PRECEDE

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does precede mean? 

• PRECEDE (verb)
  The verb PRECEDE has 5 senses:

1. be earlier in time; go back further

2. come before

3. be the predecessor of

4. move ahead (of others) in time or space

5. furnish with a preface or introduction

  Familiarity information: PRECEDE used as a verb is common.

 Dictionary entry details 

• PRECEDE (verb)

Present simple: I / you / we / they precede    ... he / she / it precedes   
Past simple: preceded   
Past participle: preceded   
-ing form: preceding   

Sense 1

Meaning:

Be earlier in time; go back further

Classified under:

Verbs of being, having, spatial relations

Synonyms:

antecede; antedate; forego; forgo; precede; predate

Context example:

Stone tools precede bronze tools

Sentence frame:

Something ----s something

Derivation:

precedence; precedency (preceding in time)

precedent (an example that is used to justify similar occurrences at a later time)

precedent (preceding in time, order, or significance)

precession (the act of preceding in time or order or rank (as in a ceremony))

Sense 2

Meaning:

Come before

Classified under:

Verbs of being, having, spatial relations

Synonyms:

precede; predate

Context example:

Most English adjectives precede the noun they modify

Hypernyms (to "precede" is one way to...):

lie (be located or situated somewhere; occupy a certain position)

Sentence frame:

Something ----s something

Derivation:

precedent (a subject mentioned earlier (preceding in time))

precedent (preceding in time, order, or significance)

precession (the act of preceding in time or order or rank (as in a ceremony))

Sense 3

Meaning:

Be the predecessor of

Classified under:

Verbs of political and social activities and events

Synonyms:

come before; precede

Context example:

Bill preceded John in the long line of Susan's husbands

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s somebody
Somebody ----s PP

Antonym:

succeed (be the successor (of))

Derivation:

precedence; precession (the act of preceding in time or order or rank (as in a ceremony))

predecessor (one who precedes you in time (as in holding a position or office))

Sense 4

Meaning:

Move ahead (of others) in time or space

Classified under:

Verbs of walking, flying, swimming

Synonyms:

lead; precede

Hypernyms (to "precede" is one way to...):

go; locomote; move; travel (change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "precede"):

head; lead (travel in front of; go in advance of others)

Sentence frames:

Something ----s
Somebody ----s
Somebody ----s something
Somebody ----s somebody
Something ----s somebody
Something ----s something

Antonym:

follow (to travel behind, go after, come after)

Derivation:

precedency (the act of preceding in time or order or rank (as in a ceremony))

Sense 5

Meaning:

Furnish with a preface or introduction

Classified under:

Verbs of telling, asking, ordering, singing

Synonyms:

introduce; precede; preface; premise

Context example:

He prefaced his lecture with a critical remark about the institution

Hypernyms (to "precede" is one way to...):

say; state; tell (express in words)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "precede"):

preamble (make a preliminary introduction, usually to a formal document)

prologise; prologize; prologuize (write or speak a prologue)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s something

 Context examples 

In ovary, placenta, breast, and testis, 170 kD BRX contains a LBC region preceded by 3 novel regions; C-terminal regions 4 and 5 bind to the ESR1 ligand-binding domain.

(A Kinase Anchor Protein 13, NCI Thesaurus)

The period of time preceding labor and delivery.

(Antepartum, NCI Thesaurus)

The P wave morphology of these complexes is often different from a sinus P wave and the RR intervals preceding these complexes is also shorter than those of the regular beats.

(Atrial Premature Complex by ECG Finding, NCI Thesaurus/CDISC)

Asthma or other respiratory infection may precede evidence of vasculitis.

(Churg-Strauss Syndrome, NLM, Medical Subject Headings)

This is a Monday, but you will feel it over the preceding weekend, January 25-26, perfect for giving a party at your home, large or small.

(AstrologyZone.com, by Susan Miller)

This day was passed in the same routine as that which preceded it.

(Frankenstein, by Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley)

I sought Mr. Mason, delivered the message, and preceded him from the room: I ushered him into the library, and then I went upstairs.

(Jane Eyre, by Charlotte Brontë)

“Light-headed, aunt!” I could only repeat this daring speculation with the same kind of feeling with which I had repeated the preceding question.

(David Copperfield, by Charles Dickens)

Drug development activites focused on the phases preceding preclinical trials and testing.

(Drug Development, Experimental, NCI Thesaurus)

EXAMPLE(S): In a Study that has Screening, Treatment and Follow-Up epochs, the sequence number indicates which Epoch precedes the other.

(Epoch Sequence Number, NCI Thesaurus/BRIDG)