precedent

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:

• (General American, Received Pronunciation) enPR: prĕsʹĭ-dənt, IPA^(key): /ˈpɹɛs.ɪ.dənt/
• (General Australian) IPA^(key): /ˈpɹes.ə.dənt/

• 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.
   • 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. (obsolete, with definite article) The aforementioned (thing).
   • 1621, Democritus Junior [pseudonym; Robert Burton], The Anatomy of Melancholy, Oxford: Printed by Iohn Lichfield and Iames Short, for Henry Cripps, OCLC 216894069; The Anatomy of Melancholy: […], 2nd corrected and augmented edition, Oxford: Printed by John Lichfield and James Short, for Henry Cripps, 1624, OCLC 54573970, (please specify |partition=1, 2, or 3):
     , New York 2001, p.74:

     A third argument may be derived from the precedent.

4. 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?)

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: Printed by Iohn Lichfield and Iames Short, for Henry Cripps, OCLC 216894069; The Anatomy of Melancholy: […], 2nd corrected and augmented edition, Oxford: Printed by John Lichfield and James Short, for Henry Cripps, 1624, OCLC 54573970, (please specify |partition=1, 2, or 3):
     , III.2.1.i:

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

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

Noun

precedent m (plural precedents)

1. precedent

Noun

precedent m

1. precedent (past act used as example)

Related terms

• See cese

Further reading

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

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

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