precedent

[ noun pres-i-duhnt; adjective pri-seed-nt, pres-i-duhnt ]
See synonyms for: precedentprecedents on Thesaurus.com

noun
  1. Law. a legal decision or form of proceeding serving as an authoritative rule or pattern in future similar or analogous cases.

  2. any act, decision, or case that serves as a guide or justification for subsequent situations.

adjectivepre·ce·dent [pri-seed-nt, pres-i-duhnt] /prɪˈsid nt, ˈprɛs ɪ dənt/
  1. going or coming before; preceding; anterior.

Origin of precedent

1
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English (adjective), from Middle French, from Latin praecēdent- (stem of praecēdēns ), present participle of praecēdere “to go in front of, go ahead of”; the noun is from the adjective; see precede, -ent

Other words for precedent

Other words from precedent

  • prec·e·dent·less, adjective
  • non·prec·e·dent, noun
  • non·pre·ced·ent, adjective
  • qua·si-pre·ced·ent, adjective

Words that may be confused with precedent

Words Nearby precedent

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use precedent in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for precedent

precedent

noun(ˈprɛsɪdənt)
  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

adjective(prɪˈsiːdənt, ˈprɛsɪdənt)
  1. preceding

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Cultural definitions for precedent

precedent

[ (press-uh-duhnt) ]


A previous ruling by a court that influences subsequent decisions in cases with similar issues.

The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Other Idioms and Phrases with precedent

precedent

see set a precedent.

The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.