precedent

See also: précédent and précèdent

English

Alternative forms

• præcedent (archaic)

Etymology

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

Pronunciation

• (adjective):
  • IPA^(key): /pɹɪˈsiː.dənt/
• (noun):
  • enPR: prĕsʹĭ-dənt, IPA^(key): /ˈpɹɛs.ɪ.dənt/
  • IPA^(key): /ˈpɹiː.sə.dənt/, /ˈpɹɛs-/
  • IPA^(key): /ˈpɹes.ə.dənt/, /ˈpɹiː-/, /ˈpɹɛs-/, /-dɘnt/

  • Audio (US):

    (file)

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[iam] Stansby [for Matthew Lownes], 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).
   • 1621, Democritus Junior [pseudonym; Robert Burton], The Anatomy of Melancholy, […], Oxford, Oxfordshire: […] John Lichfield and Iames 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[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act V, scene ii]:

     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

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: سَابِقَة f (sābiqa)
• Asturian: precedente m
• Belarusian: прэцэдэ́нт m (precedént)
• Bulgarian: прецеде́нт (bg) m (precedént)
• Catalan: precedent m
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 實例／实例 (zh) (shílì), 实例 (zh) (shílì), 範例／范例 (zh) (fànlì), 范例 (zh) (fànlì), 事例 (zh) (shìlì), 先例 (zh) (xiānlì), 前例 (zh) (qiánlì)

• Czech: precedens (cs) n, precedent (cs) m
• Dutch: precedent (nl)
• Finnish: ennakkotapaus (fi)
• French: précédent (fr)
• Galician: precedente m
• Georgian: პრეცედენტი (ṗrecedenṭi)
• German: Präzedens n
• Greek: προηγούμενο (el) n (proïgoúmeno)
• Hebrew: תַּקְדִּים (he) m (takdím)
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Hungarian: precedens (hu)
• Italian: precedente (it) m
• Japanese: 先例 (ja) (せんれい, senrei), 前例 (ja) (ぜんれい, zenrei)
• Korean: 사례(事例) (ko) (sarye), 전례(前例) (ko) (jeollye)
• Macedonian: преседа́н m (presedán)
• Maori: tauira (mi)
• Norwegian:

  Bokmål: presedens m

  Nynorsk: presedens m

• Polish: precedens (pl) m
• Portuguese: precedente (pt) m
• Romanian: precedent (ro)
• Russian: прецеде́нт (ru) m (precedént)
• Spanish: precedente (es) m
• Tagalog: kasumundan
• Turkish: emsal (tr), teamül (tr)
• Ukrainian: прецеде́нт (uk) m (precedént)

leading case which is cited to justify a judgment

• Bulgarian: прецедент (bg) m (precedent)
• Catalan: precedent m
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 判例 (zh) (pànlì)

• Dutch: jurisprudentie (nl)
• Esperanto: precedento, precedenco
• Finnish: ennakkotapaus (fi)
• French: décision de principe f
• Galician: precedente m
• Georgian: პრეცედენტი (ṗrecedenṭi)
• German: Präjudiz (de) f
• Greek: δεδικασμένο (el) n (dedikasméno)
• Hebrew: תַּקְדִּים (he) m (takdím)
• Hungarian: precedens (hu)
• Italian: pregiudiziale f
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Japanese: 判例 (ja) (hanrei)
• Korean: 판례(判例) (ko) (pallye) (law only)
• Macedonian: преседа́н m (presedán)
• Norwegian:

  Bokmål: prejudikat (no) n

  Nynorsk: prejudikat n

• Polish: precedens (pl) m
• Portuguese: precedente (pt) m
• Russian: прецеде́нт (ru) m (precedént)
• Spanish: precedente (es) m
• Swedish: prejudikat (sv) n
• Turkish: içtihat (tr)

Adjective

precedent (not comparable)

1. Happening or taking place earlier in time; previous or preceding. [from 14th c.]
2. (now rare) Coming before in a particular order or arrangement; preceding, foregoing. [from 15th c.]
   • 1621, Democritus Junior [pseudonym; Robert Burton], The Anatomy of Melancholy, […], Oxford, Oxfordshire: […] John Lichfield and Iames 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

earlier in time

• Bulgarian: предишен (bg) (predišen), предхождащ (bg) (predhoždašt)
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: please add this translation if you can

• Finnish: edeltävä (fi)
• French: précédent (fr)
• Georgian: წინა (c̣ina), წინამავალი (c̣inamavali), წინამორბედი (c̣inamorbedi)
• Greek: προηγούμενος (el) (proïgoúmenos)
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Italian: precedente (it)
• Macedonian: пре́тходен (préthoden)
• Russian: предше́ствующий (ru) (predšéstvujuščij), предыду́щий (ru) (predydúščij)
• Tagalog: kasumundan

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

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Catalan

Etymology

From Latin praecēdēns.

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.

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Czech

Noun

1. precedent (past act used as example)

Synonyms

• precedens

Related terms

• See cese

Further reading

• Template:R:KNLA
• Template:R:SSJC

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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

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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

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Romanian

Etymology

From French précédent.

Noun

precedent n (plural precedenți)

1. precedent

Declension

Declension of precedent

	singular		plural
	indefinite articulation	definite articulation	indefinite articulation	definite articulation
nominative/accusative	(un) precedent	precedentul	(niște) precedenți	precedențile
genitive/dative	(unui) precedent	precedentului	(unor) precedenți	precedenților
vocative	precedentule		precedenților