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'Precede' means to come before something in time or order; 'proceed' means to continue forward or carry on with something.
Side-by-side comparison
"Precede" means to come before in time, order, or position. "The introduction precedes the main chapter" = the introduction comes before the chapter.
A detailed agenda preceded the meeting so participants could prepare in advance.
The appetiser precedes the main course in a traditional three-course meal.
His reputation preceded him, everyone had already heard about his exceptional work.
"Proceed" means to continue forward with an action, especially after a pause. "Proceed with caution" = move forward carefully. "How do you wish to proceed?" = how do you want to continue?
Once the contracts are signed, we can proceed with the renovation work.
She paused for a moment, then proceeded to explain the entire process step by step.
Please proceed to the boarding gate, your flight begins boarding in fifteen minutes.
Common mistake
- •"The section preceeds the conclusion" is wrong, the correct spelling is "precedes" (one E, not two).
- •And "We will precede with the meeting" when meaning continue is wrong (correct: proceed).
Trick to remember it
- •"Precede" has PRE like "prefix" and "preview", something that comes before.
- •"Proceed" has PRO like "progress" and "propel", forward movement.
Quick rule
- •Is it to come before in time or order? "Precede".
- •Is it to continue forward with something? "Proceed".
Did you know?
Both words share the Latin root "cedere" (to go, to march, to yield), and from that same root come more than a dozen modern English words: RECEDE, CONCEDE, SECEDE, ACCEDE, INTERCEDE, EXCEED, SUCCEED, ACCESS. "Proceed" also gives PROCEEDS (money that "advances" to you from a sale) and PROCEEDINGS (minutes of a meeting or legal process). And "precede" gives PRECEDENT and UNPRECEDENTED. An entire linguistic tree growing from one Latin root, and "cedere" is the reason both PRECEDE and PROCEED end in a similar "-ceed" or "-cede" sound.
Practise what you learned
Exercise 1 · Pick the right one
A light starter usually _____ s the main course at a formal dinner.
Exercise 2 · Pick the right one
After the short break, we'll _____ with the second half of the presentation.
Exercise 3 · Form the word
Related word pairs
One means to receive or agree to something, the other means to exclude or not include.
'Advice' is the guidance you receive (noun); 'advise' is the act of giving that guidance (verb).
'Affect' is the verb meaning to influence something; 'effect' is the noun meaning result or consequence.
'Aisle' is the walkway between rows of seats or shelves; 'isle' is a small island.
Bryan López
Founder of SpeakUP Academy