Definition of precedent
: prior in time, order, arrangement, or significance
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Examples of precedent in a Sentence
behavior that may be explained by a precedent event in her troubled life
Origin and Etymology of precedent
Middle English, from Anglo-French, from Latin praecedent-, praecedens, present participle of praecedere — see precede
NEW! Time Traveler
First Known Use: 15th century
in the meaning defined above
See Words from the same yearDefinition of precedent
1
: an earlier occurrence of something similar
b
: the convention established by such a precedent or by long practice
3
: a person or thing that serves as a model
Examples of precedent in a Sentence
- 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 of precedent from the Web
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Here’s an example: In 1984, when Nicaragua first challenged the legality of U.S. sanctions on the Sandinista regime, the U.S. opted to be found in violation of GATT rules, rather than set a dangerous precedent by invoking the security exception.
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The Supreme Court could hand Mueller a defeat and set a new precedent on how executive privilege applies when the president is under direct scrutiny in a criminal investigation.
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The embattled justice, in a rare interview with CNN last week, argued a successful recall effort wouldn't simply remove him from the bench, but would likely to set a dangerous precedent in the future.
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For Top Dawg, the reversal of the conduct policy was about avoiding setting a precedent that could be used against artists in the future.
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But the swift cancellation in the midst of backlash sets a dangerous precedent for intellectuals and artists who work in the public sphere.
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Some lawmakers have warned that Trump is capitulating without getting any concrete concessions from the Chinese and setting a dangerous precedent by meddling in a law enforcement matter.
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But Democrats and consumer advocates say Tuesday’s House vote will undermine protections in an industry rife with problems and set a dangerous deregulatory precedent as Republicans push to erode a bevy of other consumer protections.
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But labor experts say companies such as Snag Work could set a dangerous precedent.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'precedent.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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.
Origin and Etymology of precedent
see 1precedent
NEW! Time Traveler
First Known Use: 15th century
in the meaning defined at sense 1
See Words from the same yearPRECEDENT Defined for English Language Learners
Definition of precedent for English Language Learners
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: a similar action or event that happened at an earlier time
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: something done or said that can be used as an example or rule to be followed in the future
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: the usual or traditional way of doing something
PRECEDENT Defined for Kids
Definition of precedent for Students
: something that can be used as a rule or example to be followed in the future
Law Dictionary
legal Definition of precedent
: prior in time, order, arrangement, or significance — see also condition precedent at condition — compare subsequent
Origin and Etymology of precedent
Middle French, from Latin praecedent- praecedens, present participle of praecedere to go ahead of, come before
legal Definition of precedent
: 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.
Learn More about precedent
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See words that rhyme with precedent Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for precedent Spanish Central: Translation of precedent Nglish: Translation of precedent for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of precedent for Arabic speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about precedent
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