as in priority
the right to one's attention before other things considered less important
his merchandise order takes precedence because we received it first
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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Examples Sentences
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Recent Examples of precedence
The comprehensive 3-0 victory seemed to get lost in the shuffle in a gameweek when the Rome derby took precedence and the Italian Super Cup in Saudi Arabia served up thrilling football.
—
James Horncastle, The Athletic, 10 Jan. 2025
Sleep is crucial to your health and may need to take precedence in certain situations.
—Monica Cull, Discover Magazine, 8 Jan. 2025
Around the playing area, camera placements took precedence as TGL’s SoFi Center was designed.
—Jacob Feldman, Sportico.com, 7 Jan. 2025
In the end, however, their bets on foreign policy — opening China to capitalism, halting Iran’s nuclear program, tightening economic bonds with allies — took precedence, and a new fealty to megadonors shaped fiscal policies that bolstered financial markets but shuttered many factories.
—Jonathan Weisman, New York Times, 4 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for precedence 
James Horncastle, The Athletic, 10 Jan. 2025
Sleep is crucial to your health and may need to take precedence in certain situations.
—Monica Cull, Discover Magazine, 8 Jan. 2025
Around the playing area, camera placements took precedence as TGL’s SoFi Center was designed.
—Jacob Feldman, Sportico.com, 7 Jan. 2025
In the end, however, their bets on foreign policy — opening China to capitalism, halting Iran’s nuclear program, tightening economic bonds with allies — took precedence, and a new fealty to megadonors shaped fiscal policies that bolstered financial markets but shuttered many factories.
—Jonathan Weisman, New York Times, 4 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for precedence
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Cite this Entry
“Precedence.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/precedence. Accessed 20 Jan. 2025.
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