Word
precedent
Phoneticsprece·dent
/ˈpɹɛsɪdənt/
Definitions
01an example for the future
B2 · Upper Intermediate Countable noun
n. an action or decision from the past that is used as a guide for similar situations later.
n. an act or instance that may be used as an example or standard in subsequent similar cases.
“The company's decision to allow remote work set a precedent for other businesses in the city.”
“The CEO was reluctant to grant the exception, fearing it would create a precedent that other employees would cite during future negotiations.”
Usage
Often used with the verb 'set' or 'follow'.
02legal ruling
C1 · Advanced Countable noun Law Formal · Technical
n. a previous court decision that judges must follow in new, similar cases.
n. a judicial decision that serves as an authority for deciding a later case involving identical or similar facts.
“The judge looked at a precedent from 1995 to help him decide the current case.”
“Legal counsel argued that the 1924 ruling established a binding precedent that the lower court was not at liberty to ignore.”
Usage
Commonly modified by 'legal', 'binding', or 'judicial'.
03happening before
C2 · Proficiency Formal · Academic
adj. happening or coming before something else in time.
adj. preceding in time, order, or importance.
“The two parties reached an agreement without any precedent discussion of the costs.”
“The researcher examined the precedent events that led to the collapse of the treaty, focusing on the diplomatic failures of the previous decade.”
Usage
Usually placed before the noun it modifies.
Antonyms
Collocations
Common phrases and expressions where native English speakers use the word “precedent” in context.
Verb
01. establish a precedent
“The company established a precedent by offering all employees a four-day work week.”
verb + noun
02. follow a precedent
“The judge decided to follow the precedent established in the 1998 Supreme Court ruling.”
verb + noun
03. set a precedent
“The court's ruling will set a precedent for future cases involving digital privacy.”
verb + noun
Adjective
04. dangerous precedent
“Allowing this exception could set a dangerous precedent that others might exploit.”
adj + noun
05. historical precedent
“Economists argue there is a historical precedent for this type of market volatility.”
adj + noun
06. legal precedent
“There is no clear legal precedent to guide the jury in this specific matter.”
adj + noun
Preposition
07. without precedent
“The scale of the recent environmental disaster is entirely without precedent.”
prep + noun
Real-World Examples
“As the first of India's 30 planned river-linking projects, it could set a precedent for how people displaced by the projects that follow are compensated.” “One long-running campaign he pursued, against British Telecom, was perhaps a precedent for the current debate about the impact of the internet.” Etymology
From Middle French, from Old French, from Latin praecēdēns, present participle of praecēdere (“to precede”); See precede.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Word family
VERB
NOUN
ADJECTIVE
Domain
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.C1 AdvancedIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.7.0–8.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 5.0–5.595–113TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.945–990
- Frequency
- Frequent
- Level
- C1 · AdvancedOxford
- Updated
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