Origin: Latin suffix -ence
Precedence has 4 different meanings across 1 category:
status established in order of importance or urgency
"...its precedence as the world's leading manufacturer of pharmaceuticals"
"national independence takes priority over class struggle"
preceding in time
"The committee debated whether to prioritize the recent proposal or give precedence to the original plan from last year."
the act of preceding in time or order or rank (as in a ceremony)
"The new governor took precedence over all other officials during the opening ceremony."
The state of preceding in importance or priority.
"The emergency repairs were granted precedence over all other scheduled maintenance tasks."
In plain English: Precedence means being more important than something else so it gets done first.
"The emergency vehicle was given precedence over all other traffic on the road."
Usage: Use this noun when referring to priority, but avoid confusing it with the verb form preceed (which means to go before physically). It is often paired with "take" as in "give precedence," rather than used directly as a synonym for "priority."
The word comes from Middle French précédence, meaning the state of coming before something else. It is formed by combining the verb precede with the suffix -ence.