precede definition

1. come before
• examples: Most English adjectives precede the noun they modify
2. be the predecessor of
• examples: Bill preceded John in the long line of Susan's husbands
3. move ahead (of others) in time or space
4. furnish with a preface or introduction
• examples: She always precedes her lectures with a joke
• examples: He prefaced his lecture with a critical remark about the institution