pre·ce·dence 
/ˈprɛsədəns/ noun
/ˈprɛsədəns/ noun [noncount] somewhat formal : the condition of being more important than something or someone else and therefore coming or being dealt with first
▪ The guests were introduced in order of precedence. [=the most important guests were introduced first] ▪ The safety of the children has/takes precedence over [=is more important than] everything else. ▪ Many small businesses complain that the government's policies give precedence to large corporations. [=treat large corporations as more important]
▪ The guests were introduced in order of precedence. [=the most important guests were introduced first] ▪ The safety of the children has/takes precedence over [=is more important than] everything else. ▪ Many small businesses complain that the government's policies give precedence to large corporations. [=treat large corporations as more important]
