pre
cede
Third Person
precedes
Present Participle
preceding
Past Tense
preceded
Past Participle
preceded
1
to come before something else in time
transitive
- The discovery of penicillin preceded the widespread use of antibiotics by several decades.
- In the timeline of human history, the Stone Age precedes the Bronze Age.
- The introduction of the printing press preceded the spread of mass literacy in Europe.
- The ancient texts, which were found in the ruins, precede the development of modern languages.
- The initial sketches by the artist preceded the final painting by several months.
Antonyms:
2
to appear or occur before something else in a sequence or arrangement
transitive
- The appetizer should precede the main course at dinner.
- In the schedule, the meeting will precede the conference call.
- The chapter on history precedes the chapter on science in the book.
- His name precedes hers in the invitation list.
- The letter A precedes the letter B in the alphabet.
Synonyms:
3
to move before something or someone else
transitive
- The lead car preceded the rest of the vehicles in the race.
- A small procession preceded the main parade.
- She preceded the others down the hallway to open the door.
- The runners preceded the cyclists in the race.
- A group of dancers preceded the main performance on stage.
Synonyms:
Antonyms:
4
to begin something by providing an introduction or a short explanation first
transitive
- She preceded her speech with a thank-you to the audience.
- The movie preceded the main event with a short trailer.
- Before the meeting, he preceded his presentation with some background information.
- She always precedes her emails with a polite greeting.
- The author preceded the chapter with a personal note to the readers.