precedence

 
Pronunciation: /ˈprɛsɪd(ə)ns, prɪˈsiːd(ə)ns/

noun

[mass noun]
  • the condition of being considered more important than someone or something else; priority in importance, order, or rank: his desire for power soon took precedence over any other consideration
  • the order to be ceremonially observed by people of different rank, according to an acknowledged or legally determined system: quarrels over precedence among the Bonaparte family marred the coronation