Library / English Dictionary

PRECEDE

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

 I. (verb) 

Sense 1

Meaning:

Furnish with a preface or introduction

Example:

He prefaced his lecture with a critical remark about the institution

Synonyms:

introduce; precede; preface; premise

Classified under:

Verbs of telling, asking, ordering, singing

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

Sense 2

Meaning:

Move ahead (of others) in time or space

Synonyms:

lead; precede

Classified under:

Verbs of walking, flying, swimming

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 3

Meaning:

Be the predecessor of

Example:

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

Synonyms:

come before; precede

Classified under:

Verbs of political and social activities and events

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:

Come before

Example:

Most English adjectives precede the noun they modify

Synonyms:

precede; predate

Classified under:

Verbs of being, having, spatial relations

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 5

Meaning:

Be earlier in time; go back further

Example:

Stone tools precede bronze tools

Synonyms:

antecede; antedate; forego; forgo; precede; predate

Classified under:

Verbs of being, having, spatial relations

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))

Credits

 Context examples: 

This syndrome usually precedes the appearance of the tumor, and it is characterized by phosphaturia, hypophosphatemia, normal serum calcium levels, and decreased levels of 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3.

(Phosphaturic Mesenchymal Tumor, NCI Thesaurus)

Preceding all others in time or being as first made or performed.

(Original, NCI Thesaurus)

Phase of the cell cycle following DNA synthesis and preceding mitosis (Gap 2 phase).

(G2 Phase Process, NCI Thesaurus)

Preceding all others in time or space or degree.

(First, NCI Thesaurus)

A word or group of words indicating a person's first (personal or given) name; the name that precedes the surname.

(First Name, NCI Thesaurus)

Phase of the cell cycle preceding DNA synthesis (Gap 1 phase).

(G1 Phase Process, NCI Thesaurus)

She had died the preceding summer while he was at sea.

(Persuasion, by Jane Austen)

We had entered, and the doctor had preceded us into what was evidently his waiting-room.

(The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

This round was a good deal shorter than that which had preceded it.

(Rodney Stone, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

It came, and she had yet heard nothing of her return—nothing even of the going to London, which was to precede her return.

(Mansfield Park, by Jane Austen)