# precedent
## English
### Alternative forms

* præcedent (archaic)

### Etymology

From Middle French, from Old French, from Latin praecēdēns, present participle of praecēdere (“to precede”); See precede.

### Pronunciation

* (noun):
** (Received Pronunciation, General American, Canada) enPR: prĕsʹĭ-dənt, IPA: /ˈpɹɛs.ɪ.dənt/
** (General Australian, Ireland) IPA: /ˈpɹiː.sɪ.dənt/, /ˈpɹɛs-/
** (New Zealand) IPA: /ˈpɹes.ɪ.dənt/, /ˈpɹiː-/
** Audio (US):(file)
* (adjective):
** IPA: /pɹɪˈsiː.dənt/

### Noun

precedent (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.
** 1594–1597, Richard Hooker, edited by J[ohn] S[penser], Of the Lawes of Ecclesiastical Politie, […], London: […] Will[iam] Stansby [for Matthew Lownes], published 1611, →OCLC, (please specify the page):Examples for cases can but direct as precedents only.
* (law) A decided case which is cited or used as an example to justify a judgment in a subsequent case.
* An established habit or custom.
* (obsolete, with definite article) The aforementioned (thing).
** 1624, Democritus Junior [pseudonym; Robert Burton], The Anatomy of Melancholy: […], 2nd edition, Oxford, Oxfordshire: […] John Lichfield and James Short, for Henry Cripps, →OCLC:, New York 2001, p.74:
    A third argument may be derived from the precedent.
* The previous version.
* (obsolete) A rough draught of a writing which precedes a finished copy.
** c. 1596 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Life and Death of King Iohn”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act V, scene ii]:My Lord Melun, let this be copied out, I did suppose it should be on constraint ; And keep it safe for our remembrance : But , heaven be thank'd , it is but voluntary , Return the precedent to these lords again

#### Coordinate terms

* (a case used as an example to justify a judgment in a subsequent one): case law

#### Derived terms

* binding precedent
* condition precedent
* declaratory precedent
* original precedent
* persuasive precedent
* precedented
* precedential
* precedent-setting
* precedent sub silentio
* unprecedented

#### Translations
### Adjective

precedent (not comparable)
* Happening or taking place earlier in time; previous or preceding. [from 14th c.]
    Synonyms: antecedent, predecessive
* (now rare) Coming before in a particular order or arrangement; preceding, foregoing. [from 15th c.]
** 1624, Democritus Junior [pseudonym; Robert Burton], The Anatomy of Melancholy: […], 2nd edition, Oxford, Oxfordshire: […] John Lichfield and James Short, for Henry Cripps, →OCLC, partition III, section 2, member 1, subsection i:In the precedent section mention was made, amongst other pleasant objects, of this comeliness and beauty which proceeds from women […].

#### Translations
### Verb

precedent (third-person singular simple present precedents, present participle precedenting, simple past and past participle precedented)
* (transitive, law) To provide precedents for.
* (transitive, law) To be a precedent for.

### See also

* stare decisis

### Anagrams

* precented

## Catalan
### Etymology

Borrowed from Latin praecēdentem.

### Pronunciation

* IPA: (Central) [pɾə.səˈðen]
* IPA: (Balearic) [pɾə.səˈðent]
* IPA: (Valencia) [pɾe.seˈðent]

### Adjective

precedent m or f (masculine and feminine plural precedents)
* previous, preceding

### Noun

precedent m (plural precedents)
* precedent

### Related terms

* precedència
* precedir

### Further reading

* “precedent” in Diccionari de la llengua catalana, segona edició, Institut d’Estudis Catalans.
* “precedent”, in Gran Diccionari de la Llengua Catalana, Grup Enciclopèdia Catalana, 2025
* “precedent” in Diccionari normatiu valencià, Acadèmia Valenciana de la Llengua.
* “precedent” in Diccionari català-valencià-balear, Antoni Maria Alcover and Francesc de Borja Moll, 1962.

## Czech
### Noun

precedent m inan
* precedent (past act used as example)
    Synonym: precedens

#### Related terms

* See cese

### Further reading

* “precedent”, in Kartotéka Novočeského lexikálního archivu (in Czech)
* “precedent”, in Slovník spisovného jazyka českého (in Czech), 1960–1971, 1989

## Dutch
### Etymology

Borrowed from Middle French precedent. First attested in the 16th century.

### Pronunciation

* IPA: /ˌpreː.seːˈdɛnt/, /ˌpreː.səˈdɛnt/
* Audio:(file)
* Hyphenation: pre‧ce‧dent
* Rhymes: -ɛnt

### Noun

precedent n (plural precedenten)
* precedent

#### Derived terms

* precedentwerking

## Old French
### Etymology

Borrowed from Latin praecēdēns. Compare Middle French preceder.

### Adjective

precedent m (oblique and nominative feminine singular precedent or precedente)
* preceding; that comes before
** 1377, Bernard de Gordon, Fleur de lis de medecine (a.k.a. lilium medicine):Fievre ethique vient sans fievre precedenteEthical[?] fever comes without a preceding fever

## Romanian
### Etymology

Borrowed from French précédent.

### Noun

precedent n (plural precedenți)
* precedent