precedenza
priority
noun preh-cheh-DEN-tsah Less Common
Origin: From Latin praecedentia, from praecedere (to go before).
Also means
right of way
Usage Note
Precedenza has two common senses: in traffic it means 'right of way' (dare la precedenza = to yield), and more broadly it means 'priority' (dare precedenza a qualcosa = to give priority to something). The phrase in ordine di precedenza means 'in order of priority'. The plural is le precedenze. Learners driving in Italy must know the traffic sense immediately.
Examples
"Devi dare la precedenza a destra."
Natural Translation
You must yield to the right.
Literal Translation
You must give the right-of-way to the right.
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