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precession

Etymology and origin of the English word precession

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Etymology

It is borrowed from Late Latin praecessio (“a going before”),[1][2][3][4] from praecessus, the past participle of Latin praecedo (“to go before”).[1][2][3][5][4] It is related to precede.[1][2][3]

Earliest recorded meaning

In astronomy, the earlier occurrence of the equinoxes in each successive year, the precession of the equinoxes (before 1530 in the OED; 1594 in Barnhart).[6][2][3]

Semantic evolution

The phenomenon was discovered by Hipparchus.[3] The general sense of preceding in time or rank is recorded before 1628.[6][1] In physics the word was extended from 1879 to any motion like that of the earth's axis, the slow wobbling gyration of the axis of a spinning body such as a top.[6][5] In Middle English (early 14th century) precession was also an error for procession.[3][6]

Timeline

  • early 14th century – an error for procession.[3][6]
  • before 1530 – the precession of the equinoxes.[6]
  • before 1628 – precedence.[6]
  • 1879 – the gyration of a spinning body's axis.[6][5]

Modern meaning

Noun

  1. The slow, conical motion of the axis of a spinning body, such as the wobble of a top, when an outside force acts on it.
  2. The slow gyration of the earth's axis around the pole of the ecliptic, causing the equinoxes to occur earlier each year.
  3. The act or state of preceding; precedence.

Word family

  • precessional
  • precess
  • precede
  • procession
  • cession

References

  1. ^ a b c d The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language (1992), 3rd ed., Boston: Houghton Mifflin
  2. ^ a b c d Barnhart, Robert K., ed. (1995), The Barnhart Concise Dictionary of Etymology, New York: HarperCollins
  3. ^ a b c d e f g Harper, Douglas, Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
  4. ^ a b Random House Webster's Unabridged Dictionary (1999), 2nd ed., New York: Random House
  5. ^ a b c Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary (2003), 11th ed., Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster
  6. ^ a b c d e f g h Simpson, J. A.; Weiner, E. S. C., eds. (1989), The Oxford English Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Clarendon Press

Related etymologies

Cite this entry

“Precession.” Etymologically, 11 Oct. 2026, etymologically.com/en/precession. Accessed 11 Oct. 2026.

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