Precedency

2 definitions found

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Precedence \Pre*ced"ence\, Precedency \Pre*ced"en*cy\, n. [Cf.
     F. pr['e]c['e]dence. See {Precede}.]
     1. The act or state of preceding or going before in order of
        time; priority; as, one event has precedence of another.
        [1913 Webster]
  


     2. The act or state of going or being before in rank or
        dignity, or the place of honor; right to a more honorable
        place; superior rank; as, barons have precedence of
        commoners.
        [1913 Webster]
  
              Which of them [the different desires] has the
              precedency in determining the will to the next
              action?                               --Locke.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     Syn: Antecedence; priority; pre["e]minence; preference;
          superiority.
          [1913 Webster]

From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:

  precedency
       n 1: status established in order of importance or urgency;
            "...its precedence as the world's leading manufacturer
            of pharmaceuticals"; "national independence takes
            priority over class struggle" [syn: {precedence}, {priority}]
       2: preceding in time [syn: {priority}, {antecedence}, {antecedency},
           {anteriority}, {precedence}] [ant: {posteriority}]
       3: the act of preceding in time or order or rank (as in a
          ceremony) [syn: {precession}, {precedence}]