Precedence
Also found in: Dictionary, Thesaurus, Medical, Financial, Acronyms, Idioms, Encyclopedia, Wikipedia.
PRECEDENCE. The right of being first placed in a certain order, the first
rank being supposed the most honorable.
2. In this country no precedence is given by law to men.
3. Nations, in their intercourse with each other, do not admit any
precedence; hence in their treaties in one copy one is named first, and the
other in the other. In some cases of officers when one must of necessity act
as the chief, the oldest in commission will have precedence; as when the
president of a court is not present, the associate who has the oldest
commission will have a precedence; or if their. commissions bear the same
date, then the oldest man.
4. In. the, army and navy there is an order of precedence which
regulates the officers in their command.