Sentence:  In a sense , the showdown promised by Mr. Hammarskjold 's sudden and tragic death has been avoided ; no <WSD>precedents</WSD> have been set as yet ; structurally , the U.N. is still fluid , vulnerable to the pressures that its new and enlarged membership are bringing to bear upon it . 
Meaning of the word marked with <WSD> tags:  an example that is used to justify similar occurrences at a later time