preceding

1. 1
   adjective

   Coming earlier in time or order, or placed ahead in position or rank, relative to something else.

   Her argument built directly on the preceding paragraph.

   The committee reviewed decisions made during the preceding administration.

   Similarprevious, prior, foregoing, earlier, former

   Oppositefollowing, subsequent, next, succeeding

   Note

   An adjective that grew out of the verb form: Middle English precedyng was simply the present participle of preceden, "to precede." It now sits in front of its noun, typically after the (the preceding Monday, the preceding paragraph), and it does not compare. There is no more preceding or most preceding, because something either comes before or it does not.

2. 2
   verb

   Present participle and gerund of precede.

   A brief speech preceding the awards set a warm tone for the evening.

   Preceding the others into the hall, she opened the heavy doors.

   Note

   Still fully a verb, so it takes a direct object: preceding the war, preceding the others into the hall. As a participle it heads a trimmed relative clause (the events preceding the war means the events that preceded it). As a gerund it fills a noun slot. Its object can be a time, a place or a rank, since precede covers going before, introducing and outranking. Drop the object and you have the adjective.

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