precedent

English

Wikipedia

Alternative forms

• præcedent (archaic)

Etymology

From Middle English, from Old French, from Latin praecēdēns, present participle of praecēdere (“to precede”); See precede.

Pronunciation

• (UK, adjective) IPA: /pɹiˈsiː.dənt/, X-SAMPA: /pr\i"si:.d@nt/
• (UK, US, noun) enPR: prĕs'ĭ-dənt, IPA: /ˈpɹɛs.ɪ.dənt/, X-SAMPA: /"pr\Es.I.d@nt/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

• (Australia, noun) IPA: /ˈpɹi.sɪ.dənt/

This entry needs pronunciation information. If you are familiar with enPR, IPA or SAMPA then please add some! Particularly: “check the Australian pronunciation; I transcribed it from actual speech. -sche. Also, I think the adj. is not pronounced as the noun in the US, DCDuring”

Noun

precedent (plural precedents)

1. An act in the past which may be used as an example to help decide the outcome of similar instances in the future.
   • Hooker

     Examples for cases can but direct as precedents only.

2. (law) A decided case which is cited or used as an example to justify a judgment in a subsequent case.
3. (Should we delete⁽⁺⁾ this sense?) (obsolete, with definite article) The aforementioned (thing).
   • 1621, Robert Burton, The Anatomy of Melancholy, New York 2001, p. 74:

     A third argument may be derived from the precedent.

4. (Should we delete⁽⁺⁾ this sense?) The previous version.
5. (obsolete) A rough draught of a writing which precedes a finished copy.

   (Can we find and add a quotation of Shakespeare to this entry?)

Derived terms

terms derived from precedent (noun)

binding precedent declaratory precedent original precedent persuasive precedent precedented

precedential precedent-setting precedent sub silentio unprecedented

Translations

past act used as example

• Arabic: سابقة (ar)
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 實例 (cmn), 实例 (cmn) (shílì), 範例 (cmn), 范例 (cmn) (fànlì), 事例 (cmn) (shìlì)

• Dutch: precedent (nl)
• Finnish: ennakkotapaus (fi)
• French: précédent (fr)
• German: Präzedens (de) n
• Greek: προηγούμενο (el) (prοigoúmeno) n 

• Hungarian: precedens (hu)
• Italian: precedente (it) m
• Japanese: 先例 (ja) (senrei)
• Korean: 사례 (ko) (sarye)
• Macedonian: преседан (mk) (presedán) m
• Polish: precedens (pl) m
• Romanian: precedent (ro)
• Russian: прецедент (ru) (pr'eced'ént) m 
• Spanish: precedente (es) m

prior judgment in law

• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 判例 (cmn) (pànlì)

• Dutch: jurisprudentie (nl)
• Esperanto: precedento (eo), precedenco (eo)
• Finnish: ennakkotapaus (fi)
• French: jurisprudence (fr)
• German: Präzedenzfall (de) m
• Greek: δεδικασμένο (el) (dedikasméno) n 

• Hungarian: precedens (hu)
• Italian: precedente (it) m
• Japanese: 判例 (ja) (hanrei)
• Korean: 판례 (pallye) (law only)
• Macedonian: преседан (mk) (presedán) m
• Polish: precedens (pl) m
• Russian: прецедент (ru) (pr'eced'ént) m 
• Spanish: precedente (es) m

Adjective

precedent (not comparable)

1. Happening or taking place earlier in time; previous or preceding.
   • Francis Bacon

     A precedent injury.

Translations

earlier in time

• French: précédent (fr)
• Greek: προηγούμενος (el) (prοigoúmenos) 
• Italian: precedente (it)

• Macedonian: претходен (mk) (préthoden) m
• Russian: предшествующий (ru) (pr'edšéstvujuš'ij) , предыдущий (ru) (pr'edydúš'ij) 

Verb

precedent (third-person singular simple present precedents, present participle precedenting, simple past and past participle precedented)

1. (transitive, law) To provide precedents for.
2. (transitive, law) To be a precedent for.

See also

• stare decisis