precedent
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ɪ1350–1400; (adj.) Middle English < Latin praecēdent- (stem of praecēdēns) present participle of praecēdere to go before, precede (see -ent); (noun) late Middle English, derivative of the adj.
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Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
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| an extraordinary or unusual thing, person, or event; an exceptional example or instance. |
| the offspring of a zebra and a donkey. |
| precedent | |
| —n | |
| 1. | law a judicial decision that serves as an authority for deciding a later case |
| 2. | an example or instance used to justify later similar occurrences |
| —adj | |
| 3. | preceding |
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precedent
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A previous ruling by a court that influences subsequent decisions in cases with similar issues.
Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Copyright © 1997. Published by Houghton Mifflin.
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precedent
in law, a judgment or decision of a court that is cited in a subsequent dispute as an example or analogy to justify deciding a similar case or point of law in the same manner. Common law and equity, as found in English and American legal systems, rely strongly on the body of established precedents, although in the original development of equity the court theoretically had freedom from precedent. At the end of the 19th century, the principle of stare decisis (Latin: "let the decision stand") became rigidly accepted in England. In the United States the principle of precedent is strong, though higher courts-particularly the Supreme Court of the United States-may review and overturn earlier precedents.
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