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- Dictionaryprecedent
noun
- 1. an earlier event or action that is regarded as an example or guide to be considered in subsequent similar circumstances: "there are substantial precedents for using interactive media in training"
adjective
- 1. preceding in time, order, or importance: "a precedent case"
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1. : an earlier occurrence of something similar. 2. a. : something done or said that may serve as an example or rule to authorize or justify a subsequent act of the same or an analogous kind. a verdict that had no precedent. b. : the convention established by such a precedent or by long practice. 3. : a person or thing that serves as a model.
a previous action or decision that can be used as a reason for allowing something else: The ruling can serve as a precedent to challenge other similar cases. A judgement against the fund could set a precedent for compensation payments to more of its 6,000 investors. This is an experiment without precedent in economic history.
noun. Law. a legal decision or form of proceeding serving as an authoritative rule or pattern in future similar or analogous cases. any act, decision, or case that serves as a guide or justification for subsequent situations. Synonyms: standard, pattern, model, example.
a previous action, situation, or decision that can be used as a reason or example for a similar action or decision at a later time: [ C ] Conditions have changed enormously, and the past is not much of a precedent. [ U ] Precedent indicated that a change would take place sooner rather than later.
1. an act or instance that may serve as an example or justification for subsequent situations. 2. a legal decision serving as an authoritative rule or pattern in similar cases that follow. 3. established practice; custom: to break with precedent. adj. 4. preceding; prior. pre•ce•dent.
A precedent is something that sets a standard for future events. It's hard to say what the legal community would do without the word precedent, since so many legal judgments and decisions are based on what came before.
Definition of precedent noun from the Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary. precedent. noun. /ˈpresɪdənt/ [countable, uncountable] an official action or decision that has happened in the past and that is seen as an example or a rule to be followed in a similar situation later. The ruling set a precedent for future libel cases. Extra Examples.
If there is a precedent for an action or event, it has happened before, and this can be regarded as an argument for doing it again. The trial could set an important precedent for dealing with similar cases.
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. American Heritage. A practice based upon earlier precedents.
PRECEDENT meaning: 1 : a similar action or event that happened at an earlier time; 2 : something done or said that can be used as an example or rule to be followed in the future.
