Definition of "precedence"
precedence
noun
countable and uncountable, plural precedences
The state of preceding in importance or priority.
Quotations
In the city of Zenith, in the barbarous twentieth century, a family's motor indicated its social rank as precisely as the grades of the peerage determined the rank of an English family—indeed, more precisely, considering the opinion of old county families upon newly created brewery barons and woolen-mill viscounts. The details of precedence were never officially determined.
1922, Sinclair Lewis, “Chapter VI - III”, in Babbitt, New York: Harcourt, Brace & Co., pages 74–75
he saw to my twelve packages on one hand while on the other he dealt with the Emir of the Sea, the harbour master, who in a green gown and yellow turban, was demanding precedence of some sort.
1936, Freya Stark, chapter II, in The Southern Gates of Arabia: A Journey in the Hadhramaut, New York: Dutton, page 28
The orderlies, only too well aware of the niceties of the colour-conscious system that prevailed, debated, then sent one of their number to ask the matron what should be done. The matron said that Cho must give precedence. He was laid on the concrete floor.
1938, Xavier Herbert, chapter X, in Capricornia, New York: D. Appleton-Century, published 1943, page 163
The memorandum of understanding between the Rail Accident Investigation Branch, the Office of Rail and Road and the police states: "In the absence of a clear indication that serious criminality has caused the accident, RAIB will normally have precedence in respect of the investigation and will assume lead responsibility for the investigation."
2020 December 2, Philip Haigh, “A winter of discontent caused by threat of union action”, in Rail, page 63
Quotations
If such cases did exist, they seem not to have been committed to paper. Psychiatrists, in such circumstances, may have followed the precedence of their spiritual forebears—religious confessors—in respecting the privacy of their patients.
2004, Paul Jackson, chapter 3, in One of the Boys: Homosexuality in the Military during World War II, Montreal and Kingston: McGill-Queen's University Press, page 127