Meanings
plural precessions · alternative obsolete præcession
- uncountablePrecedence.
But as it will not do to talk entirely at random, as Montaigne does, and Ralph Waldo Emerson tries to do, we must take up some little thread or threads. and string our thoughts thereupon, keeping up also a relation among them of precession and succession.
- countableuncountableAny of several slow changes in an astronomical body's rotational or orbital parameters.
Synonyms & antonyms
nounthe act of preceding in time or order or rank (as in a ceremony)
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Latinpraecēdō
- Medieval Latinprēcessiōn-, prēcessio
- Middle Englishprecessioun
- Englishprecession
From Middle English precessioun, precession, from Medieval Latin prēcessiōn-, prēcessio, from Latin praecēdō.
More words from Middle English, Medieval Latin, Latin
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Ancient Greek μετάπτωσις, μετάπτωσις
- μετάπτωσις (metáptōsis)physics term
- μετάπτωσις (metáptōsis)astronomical term
Bulgarian напредване, прецесия
- напредване (napredvane)precedence
- прецесия (precesija)astronomical term
Chinese Mandarin 進動 /进动, 旋進 /旋进
- 進動 /进动 (jìndòng)astronomical term
- 旋進 /旋进 (xuánjìn)astronomical term
- 歲差 /岁差 (suìchā)astronomical term
Czech předcházení, precese
- předcházeníprecedence
- precesephysics term
- preceseastronomical term
Dutch precessie, precessie
- precessiephysics term
- precessieastronomical term
Finnish etusija, prekessio
- etusijaprecedence
- prekessiophysics term
- prekessioastronomical term
French précession
- précessionastronomical term
German Präzession, Präzession
- Präzessionphysics term
- Präzessionastronomical term
Greek μετάπτωση, μετάπτωση
- μετάπτωση (metáptosi)physics term
- μετάπτωση (metáptosi)astronomical term
Hungarian precesszió, előrehaladás (állócsillagoké)
- precesszióastronomical term
- előrehaladás (állócsillagoké)astronomical term
Irish luainíocht
- luainíochtastronomical term
Japanese 歳差, 歳差運動
- 歳差 (saisa)astronomical term
- 歳差運動 (saisa undou)astronomical term
- 首振り運動 (kubifuri undou)astronomical term
Korean 세차
- 세차 (secha)astronomical term
Norwegian presesjon
- presesjonphysics term
Polish precesja, precesja
- precesjaphysics term
- precesjaastronomical term
Russian преце́ссия, преце́ссия
- преце́ссия (precéssija)physics term
- преце́ссия (precéssija)astronomical term
Spanish precesión
- precesiónphysics term
Rhymes & wordplay
Anagrams
Cite this entry
precession. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/precession
“precession.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/precession. Accessed November 2, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “precession,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/precession.
Source: precession on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.