prec·e·dent

(prĕs′ĭ-dənt)

a. An act or instance that may be used as an example in dealing with subsequent similar instances.

b. Law A judicial decision that is binding on other equal or lower courts in the same jurisdiction as to its conclusion on a point of law, and may also be persuasive to courts in other jurisdictions, in subsequent cases involving sufficiently similar facts.

2. Convention or custom arising from long practice: The president followed historical precedent in forming the Cabinet.

adj. (prĭ-sēd′nt, prĕs′ĭ-dənt)

Preceding.

[Middle English, from Old French, from Latin praecēdēns, praecēdent-, present participle of praecēdere, to go before; see precede.]

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

precedent

1. (Law) law a judicial decision that serves as an authority for deciding a later case

2. an example or instance used to justify later similar occurrences

adj

preceding

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

prec•e•dent

(n. ˈprɛs ɪ dənt; adj. prɪˈsid nt, ˈprɛs ɪ dənt)

n.

1. an act or instance that may serve as an example or justification for subsequent situations.

2. a legal decision serving as an authoritative rule or pattern in similar cases that follow.

3. established practice; custom: to break with precedent.

adj.

4. preceding; prior.

pre•ce•dent

[1350–1400; Middle English < Latin praecēdent- (s. of praecēdēns), present participle of praecēdere to go before, precede (see -ent)]

prec`e•den′tial (-ˈdɛn ʃəl) adj.

precedent

A decision made by a court that is taken as authorization or a standard in a subsequent case.

ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:

Noun	1.	precedent - an example that is used to justify similar occurrences at a later time case in point example, instance, illustration, representative - an item of information that is typical of a class or group; "this patient provides a typical example of the syndrome"; "there is an example on page 10"
	2.	precedent - (civil law) a law established by following earlier judicial decisions common law, case law service - (law) the acts performed by an English feudal tenant for the benefit of his lord which formed the consideration for the property granted to him civil law - the body of laws established by a state or nation for its own regulation
	3.	precedent - a system of jurisprudence based on judicial precedents rather than statutory laws; "common law originated in the unwritten laws of England and was later applied in the United States" case law, common law law, jurisprudence - the collection of rules imposed by authority; "civilization presupposes respect for the law"; "the great problem for jurisprudence to allow freedom while enforcing order"
	4.	precedent - a subject mentioned earlier (preceding in time) subject, theme, topic - the subject matter of a conversation or discussion; "he didn't want to discuss that subject"; "it was a very sensitive topic"; "his letters were always on the theme of love"
Adj.	1.	precedent - preceding in time, order, or significance preceding - existing or coming before

precedent

noun instance, example, authority, standard, model, pattern, criterion, prototype, paradigm, antecedent, exemplar, previous example The trial could set an important precedent for similar cases.

Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002

precedent

noun

A closely similar case in existence or in the past:

example.

adjective

1. Going before:

advance, antecedent, anterior, earlier, preceding, previous, prior.

2. Just gone by or elapsed:

antecedent, anterior, earlier, foregoing, former, past, preceding, previous, prior.

Translations

سابِقَه

precedens

præcedens

Präzedenzfall Präjudiz

δεδικασμένο προηγούμενο προηγούμενος

precedenteprecendenteantecedente

ennakkotapaus

précédent jurisprudence

precedens

fordæmi

先例判例

사례

presedens

precedens

прецедент предшествующий предыдущий

precedens

örnek

先列

precedent

[ˈpresɪdənt] N → precedente m (also Jur)
according to precedent → de acuerdo con los precedentes
against all precedent → contra todos los precedentes
without precedent → sin precedentes
to break with precedent → romper con todo precedente
to establish or set a precedent (for sth) → sentar un precedente (para algo)

Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005

precedent

[ˈprɛsɪdənt] n → précédent m
precedent for sth → précédent à qch
to establish a precedent → créer un précédent
to set a precedent → créer un précédent
without precedent → sans précédent

Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005

precedent

n → Präzedenzfall m; (Jur also) → Präjudiz nt; according to precedent → nach den bisherigen Fällen; against all the precedents → entgegen allen früheren Fällen; without precedent → noch nie da gewesen; to establish or create or set a precedent → einen Präzedenzfall schaffen; to break with precedent → dem Präzedenzfall nicht mehr folgen; is there any precedent for this? → ist der Fall schon einmal da gewesen?; there is no precedent for this decision → diese Entscheidung kann sich nicht an einem vergleichbaren Fall ausrichten

Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007

precedent

[ˈprɛsɪd/ənt] n (also) (Law) → precedente m
without precedent → senza precedenti
to establish or set a precedent → creare un precedente

Collins Italian Dictionary 1st Edition © HarperCollins Publishers 1995

precede

(priˈsiːd) verb

to go, happen etc before. She preceded him into the room.

precedence (ˈpresidəns) noun

(the right of) going before in order of importance etc. This matter is urgent and should be given precedence over others at the moment.

ˌprecedent (ˈpresidənt) noun

a past action, especially a legal decision, which may act as a guide or rule in the future.

preˈceding adjective

on the preceding page.

Mentioned in

References in classic literature

And there, with his noble friend and relative Lord Decimus, was William Barnacle, who had made the ever-famous coalition with Tudor Stiltstalking, and who always kept ready his own particular recipe for How not to do it; sometimes tapping the Speaker, and drawing it fresh out of him, with a 'First, I will beg you, sir, to inform the House what Precedent we have for the course into which the honourable gentleman would precipitate us;' sometimes asking the honourable gentleman to favour him with his own version of the Precedent; sometimes telling the honourable gentleman that he

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You see, it won't ever do for me, a brigadier in the regular army, to preside over that infant court-martial - there isn't any precedent for it, don't you see.

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Acting, as was their wont, in strict accordance with precedent, the highest Circles of the realm were meeting in solemn conclave, as they had met on the first hour of the first day of the year 1000, and also on the first hour of the first day of the year 0.

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Yet, with all this scope of precedent, I now enter upon the same task for the brief Constitutional term of four years under great and peculiar difficulty.

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"We shall keep our readers informed as to the progress of this enterprise, which has no precedent in the annals of exploration."

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They are unfettered by precedent in the administration of justice.

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It appeared to me to be a thing impossible and contrary to all precedent that so good a knight should have been without some sage to undertake the task of writing his marvellous achievements; a thing that was never wanting to any of those knights-errant who, they say, went after adventures; for every one of them had one or two sages as if made on purpose, who not only recorded their deeds but described their most trifling thoughts and follies, however secret they might be; and such a good knight could not have been so unfortunate as not to have what Platir and others like him had in abundance.

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These positions are, in the main, arbitrary; they are supported neither by principle nor precedent. It has indeed happened, that governments of this kind have generally operated in the manner which the distinction taken notice of, supposes to be inherent in their nature; but there have been in most of them extensive exceptions to the practice, which serve to prove, as far as example will go, that there is no absolute rule on the subject.

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There's your law of precedents; there's your utility of traditions; there's the story of your obstinate survival of old beliefs never bottomed on the earth, and now not even hovering in the air!

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"There are precedents, I may mention Schwarzenberg."

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These, under the name of precedents, they produce as authorities to justify the most iniquitous opinions; and the judges never fail of directing accordingly.

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And for this method we plead many precedents. First, this is an art well known to, and much practised by, our tragick poets, who seldom fail to prepare their audience for the reception of their principal characters.

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