Meaning & use
precedence
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Meanings
noununcountableformal
The right of something to be treated as more important and to come before other things.
Grammar: Often follows take or have: safety takes precedence over speed.
Patterns
- take precedence over something
- give precedence to something
In an emergency, patient care takes precedence over paperwork.
The committee gave precedence to the oldest applications.
Family obligations took precedence over her career for a few years.
noununcountableformallegal
An earlier case or decision that serves as a guide, or the fact of having happened before.
Grammar: Often in the phrase without precedence, meaning never done before.
Patterns
- without precedence
- there is precedence for something
The scale of the storm was without precedence in the town's history.
Lawyers looked for a precedence that matched the case.
There is precedence for this tradition in medieval records.
Common combinations
- take precedence over
- Legal duties take precedence over personal wishes.
- give precedence to
- Drivers must give precedence to vehicles coming from the right.
- order of precedence
- The order of precedence at the dinner followed rank.
- have precedence
- Pedestrians have precedence on the crossing.
- claim precedence
- No department can claim precedence over safety checks.
Synonyms and how they differ
- priority
- Priority is the everyday word for what comes first, while precedence suggests an established right or ranking.
- primacy
- Primacy means the state of being first in importance and sounds more abstract.
- seniority
- Seniority means rank from length of service, not general importance.
- preference
- Preference is choosing one thing over another and does not imply a rule.
Opposites
Word family
- precede verb
- to come before something
- precedent noun
- an earlier example used as a guide
- unprecedented adjective
- never having happened before
- preceding adjective
- coming just before
Commonly confused: precedence or precedent? precedence or presidence?
precedence vs precedent
A precedent is a past example or ruling; precedence is the right to come first.
precedence vs presidence
This is a misspelling; the correct word is precedence.
Practice
In a fire drill, getting everyone outside safely must take ___ over collecting belongings.
Choose one answer.
Take precedence over is the fixed phrase for coming first in importance. Precedent means a prior example, so it does not fit.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “precedence”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.