ENGLISH
REFERENCE

precedence

n. uncountable
C1 Advanced US //ˈpɹɛsədəns// UK //pɹˈɛsɪdəns// prece·dence

n. the condition of being more important than something else. When one thing has precedence, it happens first or gets more attention than other things.

n. the condition of being considered more important than someone or something else; priority in importance, order, or rank.


SIMPLE

Safety always takes precedence over speed.

CONTEXTUAL

In this emergency situation, medical supplies take precedence over all other cargo on the flight.

COMPLEX

The legal team argued that constitutional rights must take precedence over local ordinances, regardless of the specific circumstances of the case.

Synonyms
Antonyms
Origin

From Middle French précédence (“the state of preceding, anteriority”). Morphologically precede + -ence.

Usage

Commonly used with the verb 'take' and the preposition 'over'.

Pitfall

take precedence oftake precedence overThe standard preposition used with precedence to show priority is 'over'.

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