Meanings
plural precedents · alternative præcedent
- An act in the past which may be used as an example to help decide the outcome of similar instances in the future.
Examples for cases can but direct as precedents only.
[1594], Richard Hooker, edited by J[ohn] S[penser], Of the Lawes of Ecclesiastical Politie, […], London: […] Iohn Windet, […], →OCLC, (please specify the page) - lawA decided case which is cited or used as an example to justify a judgment in a subsequent case.
- obsoletewith definite articleThe aforementioned (thing).
A third argument may be derived from the precedent.
1621, Democritus Junior [pseudonym; Robert Burton], The Anatomy of Melancholy, New York: New York Review Books, published 2001, →ISBN, page 74 - The previous version.
- obsoleteA rough draught of a writing which precedes a finished copy.
My Lord Melun, let this be copied out, I did suppose it should be on constraint ; And keep it safe for our remembrance : But , heaven be thank'd , it is but voluntary , Return the precedent to these lords again
c. 1596 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Life and Death of King Iohn”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act V, scene ii]
alternative præcedent
- not comparableHappening or taking place earlier in time; previous or preceding.First known use 14th c.
Synonyms: antecedent, predecessive
- archaicnot comparableComing before in a particular order or arrangement; preceding, foregoing.First known use 15th c.
In the precedent section mention was made, amongst other pleasant objects, of this comeliness and beauty which proceeds from women […].
1624, Democritus Junior [pseudonym; Robert Burton], The Anatomy of Melancholy: […], 2nd edition, Oxford, Oxfordshire: […] John Lichfield and James Short, for Henry Cripps, →OCLC, partition III, section 2, member i, subsection 1
present singular third person precedents · participle present precedenting · participle past precedented · past precedented · alternative præcedent
- transitivelawTo provide precedents for.
- transitivelawTo be a precedent for.
Synonyms & antonyms
adjectiveHappening or taking place earlier in time; previous or preceding.
More synonyms by meaning
adjectivepreceding in time, order, or significance
nounan example that is used to justify similar occurrences at a later time
noun(civil law) a law established by following earlier judicial decisions
nouna system of jurisprudence based on judicial precedents rather than statutory laws
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Latinpraecēdēns
- Englishprecedent
From Middle French, from Old French, from Latin praecēdēns, present participle of praecēdere (“to precede”); See precede.
More words from Latin
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Arabic سَابِقَة
- سَابِقَة (sābiqa)past act used as example
Bengali সাবেক
- সাবেক (śabek)earlier in time
Bulgarian прецеде́нт, прецедент
- прецеде́нт (precedént)past act used as example
- прецедент (precedent)leading case which is cited to justify a judgment
- предишен (predišen)earlier in time
- предхождащ (predhoždašt)earlier in time
Catalan precedent, precedent
- precedentpast act used as example
- precedentleading case which is cited to justify a judgment
Chinese Mandarin 實例 /实例, 範例 /范例
- 實例 /实例 (shílì)past act used as example
- 範例 /范例 (fànlì)past act used as example
- 事例 (shìlì)past act used as example
- 先例 (xiānlì)past act used as example
- 前例 (qiánlì)past act used as example
- 判例 (pànlì)leading case which is cited to justify a judgment
Czech precedens, precedent
- precedenspast act used as example
- precedentpast act used as example
- precedensleading case which is cited to justify a judgment
- judikátleading case which is cited to justify a judgment
- judikaturaleading case which is cited to justify a judgment
Dutch precedent, jurisprudentie
- precedentpast act used as example
- jurisprudentieleading case which is cited to justify a judgment
Esperanto precedento, precedenco
- precedentoleading case which is cited to justify a judgment
- precedencoleading case which is cited to justify a judgment
Finnish ennakkotapaus, ennakkotapaus
- ennakkotapauspast act used as example
- ennakkotapausleading case which is cited to justify a judgment
- edeltäväearlier in time
French précédent, décision de principe
- précédentpast act used as example
- décision de principeleading case which is cited to justify a judgment
- précédentearlier in time
German Präzedenz, Präzedenzfall
- Präzedenzpast act used as example
- Präzedenzfallpast act used as example
- Präjudizleading case which is cited to justify a judgment
- Präzedenzfallleading case which is cited to justify a judgment
Greek προηγούμενο, δεδικασμένο
- προηγούμενο (proïgoúmeno)past act used as example
- δεδικασμένο (dedikasméno)leading case which is cited to justify a judgment
- προηγούμενος (proïgoúmenos)earlier in time
Hebrew תַּקְדִּים, תַּקְדִּים
- תַּקְדִּים (takdím)past act used as example
- תַּקְדִּים (takdím)leading case which is cited to justify a judgment
Hungarian precedens, precedens
- precedenspast act used as example
- precedensleading case which is cited to justify a judgment
Indonesian preseden, preseden
- presedenpast act used as example
- presedenleading case which is cited to justify a judgment
Italian precedente, pregiudiziale
- precedentepast act used as example
- pregiudizialeleading case which is cited to justify a judgment
- precedenteearlier in time
Japanese 先例, 前例
- 先例 (senrei)past act used as example
- 前例 (zenrei)past act used as example
- 判例 (hanrei)leading case which is cited to justify a judgment
Korean 사례, 전례
- 사례 (sarye)past act used as example
- 전례 (jeollye)past act used as example
- 판례 (pallye)leading case which is cited to justify a judgment
Māori tauira
- tauirapast act used as example
Norwegian Bokmål presedens, prejudikat
- presedenspast act used as example
- prejudikatleading case which is cited to justify a judgment
Polish precedens, precedens
- precedenspast act used as example
- precedensleading case which is cited to justify a judgment
Portuguese precedente, precedente
- precedentepast act used as example
- precedenteleading case which is cited to justify a judgment
Romanian precedent
- precedentpast act used as example
Russian прецеде́нт, прецеде́нт
- прецеде́нт (precedént)past act used as example
- прецеде́нт (precedént)leading case which is cited to justify a judgment
- предше́ствующий (predšéstvujuščij)earlier in time
- предыду́щий (predydúščij)earlier in time
Spanish precedente, precedente
- precedentepast act used as example
- precedenteleading case which is cited to justify a judgment
- precedenteearlier in time
Swedish prejudikat, precedensfall
- prejudikatleading case which is cited to justify a judgment
- precedensfallleading case which is cited to justify a judgment
Tagalog kasumundan, kasumundan
- kasumundanpast act used as example
- kasumundanearlier in time
Turkish emsal, teamül
- emsalpast act used as example
- teamülpast act used as example
- içtihatleading case which is cited to justify a judgment
Ukrainian прецеде́нт
- прецеде́нт (precedént)past act used as example
Vietnamese tiền lệ, án lệ
- tiền lệpast act used as example
- án lệleading case which is cited to justify a judgment
Cite this entry
precedent. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/precedent
“precedent.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/precedent. Accessed November 2, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “precedent,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/precedent.
Source: precedent on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.