PRECEDING

Pronunciation (US):

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 Dictionary entry overview: What does preceding mean? 

• PRECEDING (adjective)
  The adjective PRECEDING has 2 senses:

1. existing or coming before

2. of a person who has held and relinquished a position or office

  Familiarity information: PRECEDING used as an adjective is rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• PRECEDING (adjective)

Sense 1

Meaning:

Existing or coming before

Similar:

above (appearing earlier in the same text)

above-mentioned; above-named (mentioned or named earlier in the same text)

foregoing (especially of writing or speech; going before)

introductory; prefatorial; prefatory (serving as an introduction or preface)

precedent (preceding in time, order, or significance)

premedical (preceding and preparing for the study of medicine)

preparative; preparatory; propaedeutic (preceding and preparing for something)

old; previous (just preceding something else in time or order)

Also:

antecedent (preceding in time or order)

Attribute:

timing (the time when something happens)

temporal relation (a relation involving time)

Antonym:

succeeding (coming after or following)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Of a person who has held and relinquished a position or office

Synonyms:

past; preceding; retiring

Context example:

a retiring member of the board

Similar:

outgoing (leaving a place or a position)

 Context examples 

He had dined at the Parsonage only the preceding day.

(Mansfield Park, by Jane Austen)

Phase of the cell cycle following DNA synthesis and preceding mitosis (Gap 2 phase).

(G2 Phase Process, NCI Thesaurus)

She had died the preceding summer while he was at sea.

(Persuasion, by Jane Austen)

Drug development activites focused on the phases preceding preclinical trials and testing.

(Drug Development, Experimental, NCI Thesaurus)

Preceding all others in time or space or degree.

(First, NCI Thesaurus)

Her pulse was much stronger, and every symptom more favourable than on the preceding visit.

(Sense and Sensibility, by Jane Austen)

Phase of the cell cycle preceding DNA synthesis (Gap 1 phase).

(G1 Phase Process, NCI Thesaurus)

Easter was approaching, and the week preceding it was to bring an addition to the family at Rosings, which in so small a circle must be important.

(Pride and Prejudice, by Jane Austen)

I trembled excessively; I could not endure to think of, and far less to allude to, the occurrences of the preceding night.

(Frankenstein, by Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley)

Preceding all others in time or being as first made or performed.

(Original, NCI Thesaurus)