PRECEDING

preceding

(adjective) existing or coming before

preceding, past(a), retiring

(adjective) of a person who has held and relinquished a position or office; “a retiring member of the board”

Source: WordNet® 3.1

Etymology

Adjective

preceding (not comparable)

Occurring before or in front of something else, in time, place, rank or sequence.

Synonyms

• See also former

Antonyms

• succeeding, see also subsequent

Verb

preceding

present participle of precede

Anagrams

• decerping

Source: Wiktionary

Pre*ced"ing, a.

1. Going before; -- opposed to following.

2. (Astron.)

Definition: In the direction toward which stars appear to move. See Following, 2.

PRECEDE

Pre*cede", v. t. [imp. & p. p. Preceded; p. pr. & vb. n. Preceding.] Etym: [L. praecedere, praecessum; prae before + cedere to go, to be in motion: cf. F. préceder. See Pre-, and Cede.]

1. To go before in order of time; to occur first with relation to anything. "Harm precedes not sin." Milton.

2. To go before in place, rank, or importance.

3. To cause to be preceded; to preface; to introduce; -- used with by or with before the instrumental object. [R.] It is usual to precede hostilities by a public declaration. Kent.

Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition