'Precede' is Latin for 'walk ahead' — a core member of the vast family including 'proceed' and 'succeed.'
From Latin praecēdere (to go before, to walk ahead of), composed of prae- (before, in front of, ahead) + cēdere (to go, to move, to yield), from PIE *ḱed- (to go, to yield, to give way). The PIE root *ḱed- is the ancestor of the cede family in Latin: cēdere gives cede (to yield), accede (go toward), concede (go together, yield), exceed (go beyond), intercede (go between), proceed (go forward), recede (go back), secede (go apart), and succeed (go under, follow after). The prefix prae- adds the directional meaning before or in front: to precede is to go in front of, to come earlier in a sequence
The legal term 'precedent' — a previous ruling that guides future decisions — preserves the walking metaphor perfectly: a precedent is a case that 'went before' and blazed the trail. The adjective 'unprecedented,' meaning without any prior example, became one of the most overused words during the COVID-19 pandemic, prompting widespread commentary about its suddenly ubiquitous presence.