pre ‧ ce ‧ dence AC /ˈpresəd ə ns, ˈpresɪd ə ns/ BrE AmE noun [uncountable]
when someone or something is considered to be more important than someone or something else, and therefore comes first or must be dealt with first SYN priority
precedence over
Do we want a society where appearance takes precedence over skill or virtue?
Guests were seated in order of precedence.
Safety must be given precedence.