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
Recent Examples on the Web
The case also highlights the evolving legal landscape for digital commerce, and could set a precedent for how ultra-fast fashion platforms operate in Europe.
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Rhonda Richford, Footwear News, 19 Nov. 2025
The league set a precedent earlier this season that spitting would cost a player one game.
—Matt Schooley, CBS News, 17 Nov. 2025
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.
—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
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Rhonda Richford, Footwear News, 19 Nov. 2025
The league set a precedent earlier this season that spitting would cost a player one game.
—Matt Schooley, CBS News, 17 Nov. 2025
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.
—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
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 27 Nov. 2025.
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