precedió

Precedió is the third-person singular form of the Spanish verb preceder in the pretérito indefinido (simple past). The verb means to come before in time or order, or to be prior to something in a sequence. It is used to indicate that an event, statement, or action occurred earlier than another reference point, whether in history, narration, or processes.

Etymology and related forms: preceder comes from Latin praecedere, formed by prae- “before” and cedere “to go.” Related terms include predecesor (predecessor), precedente (precedent), and precedencia (precedence), which reflect the same idea of priority or anteriority.

Conjugation notes: preceder is a regular -er verb, with accents to mark stressed syllables in the past tense. Examples of the pretérito indefinido are: yo precedí, tú precediste, él precedió, nosotros precedimos, vosotros precedisteis, ellos precedieron. The feminine form is precedida in passive constructions, e.g., la reunión fue precedida por una explicación.

Usage examples:

- El siglo XIV precedió al XV en la cronología europea.

- El discurso precedió al banquete, preparando el tono de la ceremonia.

- En el protocolo, la firma del documento fue precedida por la verificación de firmas.

In summary, precedió functions as a simple past form that situates actions or events as prior to a reference point, with common usage in historical narration, descriptions of sequences, and formal or procedural contexts.