precedent

English

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precedent

Wikipedia

Alternative forms

• præcedent (archaic)

Etymology

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

Pronunciation

• (noun):
  • (Received Pronunciation, General American, Canada) enPR: prĕsʹĭ-dənt, IPA^(key): /ˈpɹɛs.ɪ.dənt/
  • (General Australian, Ireland) IPA^(key): /ˈpɹiː.sə.dənt/, /ˈpɹɛs-/
  • (New Zealand) IPA^(key): /ˈpɹes.ə.dənt/, /ˈpɹiː-/

  • Audio (US)

    (file)

• (adjective):
  • IPA^(key): /pɹɪˈsiː.dənt/

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.
   • 1594–1597, Richard Hooker, edited by J[ohn] S[penser], Of the Lawes of Ecclesiastical Politie, , London: Will Stansby , published 1611, →OCLC, (please specify the page):

     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. An established habit or custom.
4. (obsolete, with definite article) The aforementioned (thing).
   • 1624, Democritus Junior [pseudonym; Robert Burton], The Anatomy of Melancholy: , 2nd edition, Oxford, Oxfordshire: Printed by John Lichfield and James Short, for Henry Cripps, →OCLC:
     , New York 2001, p.74:

     A third argument may be derived from the precedent.

5. The previous version.
6. (obsolete) A rough draught of a writing which precedes a finished copy.
   • 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 Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, :

     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

Coordinate terms

• (a case used as an example to justify a judgment in a subsequent one): case law

Derived terms

Translations

Adjective

precedent (not comparable)

1. Happening or taking place earlier in time; previous or preceding.
2. (now rare) Coming before in a particular order or arrangement; preceding, foregoing.
   • 1624, Democritus Junior [pseudonym; Robert Burton], The Anatomy of Melancholy: , 2nd edition, Oxford, Oxfordshire: Printed by John Lichfield and James Short, for Henry Cripps, →OCLC, partition III, section 2, member 1, subsection i:

     In the precedent section mention was made, amongst other pleasant objects, of this comeliness and beauty which proceeds from women […].

Translations

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

Anagrams

• precented

Catalan

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin praecēdentem.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): (Central)
• IPA^(key): (Balearic)
• IPA^(key): (Valencian)

Adjective

precedent m or f (masculine and feminine plural precedents)

1. previous, preceding

Noun

precedent m (plural precedents)

1. precedent

Related terms

• precedència
• precedir

Further reading

• “precedent” in Diccionari de la llengua catalana, segona edició, Institut d’Estudis Catalans.
• “precedent”, in Gran Diccionari de la Llengua Catalana, Grup Enciclopèdia Catalana, 2024
• “precedent” in Diccionari normatiu valencià, Acadèmia Valenciana de la Llengua.
• “precedent” in Diccionari català-valencià-balear, Antoni Maria Alcover and Francesc de Borja Moll, 1962.

Czech

Noun

precedent m inan

1. precedent (past act used as example)

   Synonym: precedens

Declension

Related terms

• See cese

Further reading

• precedent in Kartotéka Novočeského lexikálního archivu
• precedent in Slovník spisovného jazyka českého, 1960–1971, 1989

Dutch

Etymology

Borrowed from Middle French precedent. First attested in the 16th century.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˌpreː.seːˈdɛnt/, /ˌpreː.səˈdɛnt/

• Audio

  (file)

• Hyphenation: pre‧ce‧dent
• Rhymes: -ɛnt

Noun

precedent n (plural precedenten)

1. precedent

Derived terms

• precedentwerking

Old French

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin praecēdēns. Compare Middle French preceder.

Adjective

precedent m (oblique and nominative feminine singular precedent or precedente)

1. preceding; that comes before
   • 1377, Bernard de Gordon, Fleur de lis de medecine (a.k.a. lilium medicine):

     Fievre ethique vient sans fievre precedente

     Ethical fever comes without a preceding fever

Romanian

Etymology

Borrowed from French précédent.

Noun

precedent n (plural precedenți)

1. precedent

Declension