set a precedent
idiom
: to decide something that will be used as an example or rule to be followed in the future
The ruling in the case is likely to set a precedent for how future cases are decided.
Examples of set a precedent in a Sentence
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The outcome could set a precedent for how far courts can go in easing logistical burdens on defendants in sensitive-information cases without compromising government secrecy.
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Robert Alexander, MSNBC Newsweek, 5 Nov. 2025
The civil trial could set a precedent for holding school officials accountable for gun violence on campus and comes ahead of Parker’s criminal trial next month on eight counts of felony child neglect.
—Chris Boyette, CNN Money, 3 Nov. 2025
Taylor’s action and Coogan’s response could set a precedent for many a movie to come.
—Max Goldbart, Deadline, 31 Oct. 2025
But Interview With the Vampire set a precedent for transformative TV from the Immortal Universe, its narrative and visual audacity subverting adaptation tropes and genre storytelling by challenging viewers’ notions of immortality, sexuality, and destiny.
—Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 25 Oct. 2025
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Robert Alexander, MSNBC Newsweek, 5 Nov. 2025
The civil trial could set a precedent for holding school officials accountable for gun violence on campus and comes ahead of Parker’s criminal trial next month on eight counts of felony child neglect.
—Chris Boyette, CNN Money, 3 Nov. 2025
Taylor’s action and Coogan’s response could set a precedent for many a movie to come.
—Max Goldbart, Deadline, 31 Oct. 2025
But Interview With the Vampire set a precedent for transformative TV from the Immortal Universe, its narrative and visual audacity subverting adaptation tropes and genre storytelling by challenging viewers’ notions of immortality, sexuality, and destiny.
—Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 25 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for set a precedent
Cite this Entry
“Set a precedent.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/set%20a%20precedent. Accessed 14 Nov. 2025.
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