precede definition - Dictionary

Dictionary

pre·cede [ prə sd ] (past and past participle pre·ced·ed, present participle pre·ced·ing, 3rd person present singular pre·cedes)

transitive verb

Definition:

1. come or go before something: to come, go, be, or happen before somebody or something else in time, position, or importance

2. introduce something with something: to say or do something before something else

[14th century. Via French< Latin praecedere "go before" < cedere "give way"]

Spelling Note


	precede or proceed? Do not confuse the spelling of precede and proceed, which sound similar. The verb precede has the prefix pre- ("before") and means "come or go before": March precedes April. The verb proceed has the prefix pro- ("forward") and means "begin or continue with an action" or "progress": She proceeded to explain what had gone wrong.