precedent

1 of 3

adjective

pre·​ce·​dent pri-ˈsē-dᵊnt  ˈpre-sə-dənt 

: prior in time, order, arrangement, or significance

precedent

2 of 3

noun

prec·​e·​dent ˈpre-sə-dənt 

1

: an earlier occurrence of something similar

There are no precedents for these events. [=nothing like these events has happened before]

2

a

: something done or said that may serve as an example or rule to authorize or justify a subsequent act of the same or an analogous kind

specifically, law : a judicial decision that should be followed by a judge when deciding a later similar case compare stare decisis

b

: the convention established by such a precedent or by long practice

3

: a person or thing that serves as a model

precedent

3 of 3

verb

prec·​e·​dent

precedented; precedenting; precedents

transitive verb

1

: to be a previous example of : to be a precedent (see precedent entry 2 sense 1) of

In November, for instance, a month usually associated with the growth of ice in the Arctic, a sudden reversal in this trend led to the loss of 19,000 square miles of ice over five days, a phenomenon only precedented by a smaller ice loss in 2013, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

—Weston Williams

2

: to furnish with or support or justify by a precedent (see precedent entry 2 sense 2)

Now that he's free, Carlos Ghosn is threatening to go after the parties that accused him of crimes and stripped him of his corporate positions. … Possible moves could involve civil suits or other complaints, in Japan or elsewhere, and are precedented by a case filed last year by Ghosn in the Netherlands.

—Hans Greimel

Did you know?

Precedent and the Supreme Court

A precedent is something that precedes, or comes before. The Supreme Court relies on precedents—that is, earlier laws or decisions that provide some example or rule to guide them in the case they're actually deciding. When hostages are being held for ransom, a government may worry about setting a bad precedent if it gives in. And a company might "break with precedent" by naming a foreigner as its president for the first time.

Synonyms of precedent

Adjective

• previous

Examples of precedent in a Sentence

Adjective

behavior that may be explained by a precedent event in her troubled life

Noun

Suddenly, against all historical precedent just for that week, the Federal Emergency Management Agency would have morphed into a well-organized and dependable outfit. —John McWhorter, National Review, 26 Sept. 2005

On July 12, in an action that seems to have been without precedent, the House voted, 355-0, to condemn a scientific article. —Jonathan Rauch, National Journal, 7 Aug. 1999

In cases close-run enough to require the Supreme court to decide them, precedent and principle are elastic enough, or complex enough, that justices can often decide either way without brazenly contradicting themselves. —Henry Louis Gates, Jr., New Republic, 20 & 27 Sept. 1993

We begin to appreciate the mystery when we realize that the act of naming, or denotation, is generically without precedent in natural history. —Walker Percy, "Naming And Being," 1960, in Signposts in a Strange Land,  1991

The judge's ruling was based on a precedent established by an earlier decision.

He says that the government will set a dangerous precedent if it refuses to allow the protesters to hold a rally.

The judge's ruling was based on legal precedent.

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

Even when Disney brought back Ortega for their Descendants franchise in 2015 — a film about the children of Disney villains — IP took precedent time and time again above the story. —Ct Jones, Rolling Stone, 24 Jan. 2026

That’s because precedent changes in small but important ways all the time. —Sonja Sharp, Los Angeles Times, 27 Feb. 2025

Noun

In response to a market-moving piece of dystopian fan fiction fearmongering about AI, Citadel Securities put out its own brief on the historical precedent for AI’s impact and the improbability that the technology will render humans unemployable any more than the typewriter or the internet did. —Tiana Lowe Doescher, The Washington Examiner, 27 Feb. 2026

Cathryn Oakley, senior director of legal policy for the LGBTQ+ advocacy group Human Rights Campaign, said the decision acknowledged the lack of legal precedent for such a decision. —Jessica Guynn, USA Today, 27 Feb. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

Middle English, "preceding in time or order," borrowed from Anglo-French & Latin; Anglo-French precedant, borrowed from Latin praecēdent-, praecēdens, present participle of praecēdere "to "to go in front (of), occur at an earlier time (than)" — more at precede

Noun

Middle English precydent, president, noun derivative of precedent precedent entry 1

Verb

derivative of precedent entry 2

First Known Use

Adjective

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Noun

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2a

Verb

1614, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing precedent

• break (with) precedent
• set a precedent

Rhymes for precedent

• antecedent

Kids Definition

precedent

1 of 2 adjective

pre·​ce·​dent pri-ˈsēd-ᵊnt  ˈpres-əd-ənt 

: going before in time, order, arrangement, or importance

precedent

2 of 2 noun

prec·​e·​dent ˈpres-əd-ənt 

1

: an earlier occurrence of something similar

2

: something that may serve as an example or rule to be followed in the future

Legal Definition

precedent

1 of 2 adjective

pre·​ce·​dent pri-ˈsēd-ᵊnt, ˈpre-səd- 

: prior in time, order, arrangement, or significance see also condition precedent at condition compare subsequent

precedent

2 of 2 noun

prec·​e·​dent ˈpre-səd-ᵊnt 

: a judicial decision that should be followed by a judge when deciding a later similar case see also stare decisis compare dictum

Note: To serve as precedent for a pending case, a prior decision must have a similar question of law and factual situation. If the precedent is from the same or a superior jurisdiction (as the state's supreme court), it is binding upon the court and must be followed; if the precedent is from another jurisdiction (as another state's supreme court), it is considered only persuasive. Precedents may be overruled especially by the same court that originally rendered the decision.

Etymology

Adjective

Middle French, from Latin praecedent-, praecedens, present participle of praecedere to go ahead of, come before