To precede means to come before something or someone in time, order, or position. It can refer to events, numbers, people, or actions.
“Precede” comes from Latin *praecedere*, from *prae-* (“before”) + *cedere* (“to go”). It literally means “to go before.”
We use “precede” not only for time but also for logic: certain ideas must precede others for them to make sense. In that way, the word quietly describes how both events and thoughts line up in sequences.
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