# precedent

/ˈpɹɛsɪdənt/ (US)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/precedent
Updated: 2026-06-20

## Senses

### 1. an example for the future

noun · CEFR B2

an action or decision from the past that is used as a guide for similar situations later.

For teachers: 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'.

### 2. legal ruling

noun · CEFR C1 · Formal · Technical

a previous court decision that judges must follow in new, similar cases.

For teachers: 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'.

### 3. happening before

adjective · CEFR C2 · Formal · Academic

happening or coming before something else in time.

For teachers: 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.

## Examples

- The judge's decision set a precedent for future cases.
- The company's decision to allow remote work for one employee created a precedent that others soon followed.
- Legal scholars argue that overturning such a long-standing precedent would destabilize the judicial system and lead to significant social uncertainty regarding property rights.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.