Precedent
An earlier event, decision, or action that provides a model or justification for future similar cases or actions.
nounPrecedent
An earlier event, decision, or action that provides a model or justification for future similar cases or actions.
nounImagine This
Imagine a court hallway lined with dusty case files. Each file represents a past ruling. The judge points to an old ruling and says, 'We will follow this precedent to decide the current case.' New decisions must align with these earlier examples.
Sounds Like
PRES-uh-dent (sounds like 'president' in many dialects)
Looks Like
resembles 'precede' or shares the root 'preced-' meaning before
Remember This
In law, a precedent is a guiding example for future cases; the doctrine of stare decisis means courts generally follow prior decisions when the facts are similar.
Other Forms
Connect With
model, standard, guideline, benchmark, pattern, template
Note
Do not confuse precedent with precedence. Precedent is an example set by a previous decision; precedence refers to priority in order or importance.
Study Deeper
- The court followed the precedent established by a similar case from the previous decade.
- There is no precedent for this type of ruling in this jurisdiction, so the judge had to proceed with caution.
From Latin praecedens, from prae- 'before' + cedere 'to go, yield'; the noun denotes something that goes before to guide later actions.
Mnemonic: PRECEDENT = PRECEDE + DENT. It helps you remember that a precedent is something that goes before to guide future decisions.
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Counterproductive
adjectiveHaving the opposite of the desired effect; actions or policies that hinder rather than help progress.
Chasten
verbTo discipline or punish in order to improve behavior or character.
Haughty
adjectiveArrogantly proud; having or showing an overbearing sense of one's own importance.
Similar Words
Related words and words with the same part of speech.
Abasement
nounThe act or instance of humiliating or degrading someone; the state of being lowered in dignity or status.
Absurdity
nounThe quality or state of being wildly unreasonable, illogical, or ridiculous; something that is completely contrary to reason or common sense.
Accent
nounA distinctive way of pronouncing words; the act of emphasizing a syllable or word (as a verb, to accent means to emphasize).
Accolade
nounAn honor; a public expression of praise or an award.
Acrimony
nounBitterness of speech or manner; ill feeling
Acronym
nounA word formed from the initial letters of a phrase, pronounced as a single word and used as a shorthand for the full name (for example, NASA or radar).