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# preceding

adjective (preceding); verb (present participle of «precede»: precede, precedes, preceded, preceding)

«preceding» in the English dictionary: everyday — its meanings, how the lessons use it, and examples, each with its tree on Mova.

## Everyday

1. Coming just before something in time, order or position (the preceding page, the preceding year). [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/P/preceding/#m1)
2. Going in front of or happening before something else. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/P/preceding/#m2)

### In the lessons

A formal exam and maths word: «the preceding number» is the one just before (the number preceding 50 is 49); «in the preceding question» means the one before. In stories, events preceding a storm. Phrases: «the preceding day», «preceding question», «in the preceding weeks».

### Examples

- Look at the preceding page for the answer. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/P/preceding/#x1)
- The number preceding 100 is 99. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/P/preceding/#x2)
- Use your answer from the preceding question. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/P/preceding/#x3)
- In the preceding weeks, she practised every day. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/P/preceding/#x4)
- The days preceding the holiday were busy. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/P/preceding/#x5)
- A flash of lightning comes in the seconds preceding the thunder. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/P/preceding/#x6)
- The evening passed pleasantly like the one preceding. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/P/preceding/#x7)

### Note

Formal; everyday: «before», «previous», «last». Opposite: «following», «next». Do not confuse «precede» (come before) with «proceed» (go on). In maths: the number preceding n is n − 1; the term preceding in a sequence comes just before.

## On Mova

- [Trees and pragmatics of «preceding» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/P/preceding/): every meaning and example parsed by Mova, with its dependency tree and frames.
- [«preceding» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/w/preceding.html) on Mova free.