# precede

Pronunciation: say "pri-SEED" US /pɹɪˈsid/, UK /pɹɪˈsiːd/

## Verb

1. To come or go before something in time, order, or position.
   - Simple: To come or go before something else in time, order, or place.
   - _Two warning sirens precede every scheduled detonation at the quarry._
   - _A long drought preceded the famine of that year._
2. To preface something by placing introductory material in front of it.
   - Simple: To start something by placing an introduction before the main part.
   - _The editors precede each report with a brief summary._
   - _He preceded his argument with a lengthy historical overview._
3. To hold a higher rank or place in order of importance than another person or thing.
   - Simple: To have a higher rank or position than someone or something else.
   - _By tradition, ambassadors precede other diplomats at state functions._
   - _The archbishop precedes the bishop in the church hierarchy._

## Noun

4. A brief editorial preface placed before an article or essay.
   - Simple: A short editorial note placed before an article or essay.
   - _The editor wrote a sharp precede to frame the investigative piece._
   - _Readers skipped the precede and went straight to the report._

## Origin

From Middle French 'précéder', from Latin 'praecēdō', which combines 'prae-' (before) with 'cēdō' (to go).

Source: DictionaryAI, https://dictionaryai.com/define/precede (written from Wiktionary data, CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).