PRECEDENCY

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does precedency mean? 

• PRECEDENCY (noun)
  The noun PRECEDENCY has 3 senses:

1. status established in order of importance or urgency

2. preceding in time

3. the act of preceding in time or order or rank (as in a ceremony)

  Familiarity information: PRECEDENCY used as a noun is uncommon.

 Dictionary entry details 

• PRECEDENCY (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

Status established in order of importance or urgency

Classified under:

Nouns denoting stable states of affairs

Synonyms:

precedence; precedency; priority

Context example:

national independence takes priority over class struggle

Hypernyms ("precedency" is a kind of...):

high status (a position of superior status)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "precedency"):

back burner (reduced priority)

front burner (top priority)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Preceding in time

Classified under:

Nouns denoting attributes of people and objects

Synonyms:

antecedence; antecedency; anteriority; precedence; precedency; priority

Hypernyms ("precedency" is a kind of...):

earliness (quality of coming early or earlier in time)

Derivation:

precede (be earlier in time; go back further)

Sense 3

Meaning:

The act of preceding in time or order or rank (as in a ceremony)

Classified under:

Nouns denoting acts or actions

Synonyms:

precedence; precedency; precession

Hypernyms ("precedency" is a kind of...):

activity (any specific behavior)

Derivation:

precede (move ahead (of others) in time or space)

precedent (preceding in time, order, or significance)