Synonyms of precedent

precedent

adjective

pri-ˈsē-dᵊnt 

as in previous

going before another in time or order

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

• previous
• early
• earliest
• preceding
• prior
• antecedent
• initial
• former
• foregoing
• original
• anterior
• advance
• premature
• first
• preliminary
• pioneer
• preexisting
• introductory
• inaugural
• maiden
• erstwhile
• whilom

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• following
• subsequent
• later
• ensuing
• succeeding
• after
• posterior
• late
• advanced
• final
• latter
• last
• ultimate
• latest
• concluding
• terminal
• closing

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of precedent

Much of its aid has come in unsigned rulings on the emergency docket—ostensibly temporary and non-precedent-setting judgments that nevertheless carry serious consequences. — Daniel Immerwahr, New Yorker, 31 Aug. 2026

Their protections may have been further eroded with a precedent decision recently in which the Board of Immigration Appeals determined that DACA status alone is not enough to stop deportation. — Hallie Golden, Los Angeles Times, 2 May 2026

These tools can generate a first-draft NDA within seconds by drawing on vast training libraries of precedent agreements and current market standards. — Allbusiness, Forbes.com, 18 Mar. 2026

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

This adaptation demands re-conceiving large chunks of plot from the ground-up while retaining Liu’s themes, not to mention visualizing concepts with less precedent onscreen than the fantasy tropes Martin deployed and subverted. — Alison Herman, Variety, 9 Mar. 2024

Judge Barrett did not entirely embrace the notion of super-precedent. — Jonathan Turley, WSJ, 15 Oct. 2020