lexicow

precede

/prɪˈsiːd//prɪˈsiːd/·verb
High in the cloud a bolt cracks down and is gone in a flicker. Then, for a beat longer than you expect, nothing — the held gap. Only after it does the thunder come, the cloud rumbling, the hillside and its lone tree shuddering late. Every time, the order holds: the light first, always first, then the wait, then the answer from the sky. You learn to read the flash not for itself but for what it promises is already on its way.
|

Definition

To precede is to come before — to go ahead of something else in time, order, or rank. From Latin praecedere, 'to go in front', it names a pure relationship of before-and-after: the flash precedes the thunder, a warning precedes the storm, the introduction precedes the argument. What precedes is often a sign of what follows, which is why a forerunner lets us anticipate the main event. Take care not to confuse precede (to go before) with proceed (to go forward) — one letter apart, opposite in feel.

Examples

  • A low tremor often precedes an eruption, giving the villagers a few minutes to anticipate it.
  • In the usual sequence, a sharp drop in pressure precedes the storm.
  • The chapters that precede the conclusion lay out all of its groundwork.

Collocations

precede the event·immediately preceded by·the preceding chapter·precede in time

Synonyms

come before·predate·antecede·lead·head

Antonyms

follow·succeed·trail

Word family

preceding (adjective)·precedent (noun)·precedence (noun)

In TOEFL & IELTS

A precise sequencing verb for TOEFL/IELTS reading and for structuring your own writing ('the preceding paragraph'). The adjective preceding and the noun precedent are both common. The classic trap is the split with proceed — precede means to go before, proceed means to carry on — so read exam options slowly.