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precedent

/ˈpɹɛs.ɪ.dənt/noun, adjective3 syllables

Precedent means: (civil law) a law established by following earlier judicial decisions.

Synonyms for precedent6

noun, as in (civil law) a law established by following earlier judicial decisions

case law, common law

noun, as in a system of jurisprudence based on judicial precedents rather than statutory laws

common law, case law

noun, as in an example that is used to justify similar occurrences at a later time

case in point

adjective, as in preceding in time, order, or significance

preceding

also used for precedent

antecedent, predecessive

Includes material from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.

What does precedent mean?5

noun

1

(civil law) a law established by following earlier judicial decisions

2

a system of jurisprudence based on judicial precedents rather than statutory laws“common law originated in the unwritten laws of England and was later applied in the United States”

3

an example that is used to justify similar occurrences at a later time

4

a subject mentioned earlier (preceding in time)

adjective

1

preceding in time, order, or significance

Definitions from the Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Precedent in a sentence

  • If we do this, it'll set a precedent.CK
  • Despite the precedent, it would have been worse to leave it alone.pip
  • If we win this lawsuit, it will become precedent.rul
  • There is no precedent for such a case.Dejo
  • It's totally without precedent for the suspect's attorney to be the true culprit.kebukebu
  • We are very cognizant of the precedent we are setting.sacredceltic
  • Will this set a good precedent or a bad precedent?CK
  • The lawyer drew upon a repertory of juridical precedents to strengthen her argument.rul

Sentences from Tatoeba, CC BY 2.0 FR, credited to their authors.

Forms of precedent

as a noun

plural
precedents