precedent

prec·e·dent

When the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in favor of Brown vs. Board of Education it set a precedent for ending segregation in public schools.

noun

The definition of precedent is a decision that is the basis or reason for future decisions.

An example of precedent is the legal decision in Brown v. Board of Education guiding future laws about desegregation.

Link/Cite

Link to this page

Cite this page

MLA Style

"precedent." YourDictionary, n.d. Web. 20 March 2019. <https://www.yourdictionary.com/Precedent>.

APA Style

precedent. (n.d.). Retrieved March 20th, 2019, from https://www.yourdictionary.com/Precedent

precedent

that precedes; preceding

Origin of precedent

Middle English from Middle French précédent from Classical Latin praecedens, present participle of praecedere, to precede

noun

prec′edent

an act, statement, legal decision, case, etc. that may serve as an example, reason, or justification for a later one
a practice based upon earlier precedents

Link/Cite

Link to this page

Cite this page

MLA Style

"precedent." YourDictionary, n.d. Web. 20 March 2019. <https://www.yourdictionary.com/Precedent>.

APA Style

precedent. (n.d.). Retrieved March 20th, 2019, from https://www.yourdictionary.com/Precedent

precedent

noun

a. An act or instance that may be used as an example in dealing with subsequent similar instances.
b. Law A judicial decision that is binding on other equal or lower courts in the same jurisdiction as to its conclusion on a point of law, and may also be persuasive to courts in other jurisdictions, in subsequent cases involving sufficiently similar facts.
Convention or custom arising from long practice: The president followed historical precedent in forming the Cabinet.

adjective

Preceding.

Origin of precedent

Middle English from Old French from Latin praecēdēns praecēdent- present participle of praecēdere to go before ; see precede .

THE AMERICAN HERITAGE® DICTIONARY OF THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE, FIFTH EDITION by the Editors of the American Heritage Dictionaries. Copyright © 2016, 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Link/Cite

Link to this page

Cite this page

MLA Style

"precedent." YourDictionary, n.d. Web. 20 March 2019. <https://www.yourdictionary.com/Precedent>.

APA Style

precedent. (n.d.). Retrieved March 20th, 2019, from https://www.yourdictionary.com/Precedent

Noun

(plural precedents)

An act in the past which may be used as an example to help decide the outcome of similar instances in the future.
(law) A decided case which is cited or used as an example to justify a judgment in a subsequent case.
The previous version.

Adjective

(not comparable)

Happening or taking place earlier in time; previous or preceding. [from 14th c.]
(now rare) Coming before in a particular order or arrangement; preceding, foregoing. [from 15th c.]

Verb

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

(law) To provide precedents for.
(law) To be a precedent for.

Origin

From Middle English, from Old French, from Latin praecÄ“dÄ“ns, present participle of praecÄ“dere (“to precede"); See precede.

English Wiktionary. Available under CC-BY-SA license.

Link/Cite

Link to this page

Cite this page

MLA Style

"precedent." YourDictionary, n.d. Web. 20 March 2019. <https://www.yourdictionary.com/Precedent>.

APA Style

precedent. (n.d.). Retrieved March 20th, 2019, from https://www.yourdictionary.com/Precedent

precedent - Legal Definition

adj

Something that came before, hence preceded the event currently in question, such as a previously decided case. It may serve as a model for the interpretation of a law, or disposition as a case.