Precedent
noun /ˈprɛs.ɪ.dənt/ — An earlier decision that guides or determines future similar cases
Definition
A legal decision or ruling that serves as an authoritative example or rule to be followed in future similar cases. The common law system is built on precedent — judges deciding like cases alike. To set a precedent is to create a rule for the future.
Beyond the definition
Precedent is legal memory — the past case that speaks forward into present decisions. It asks not just 'what is right now?' but 'what have we decided before, and are we consistent?'
Origin & history
Latin: praecedere (to go before). The principle of stare decisis — to stand by things decided — is the foundation of common law. Precedent ensures consistency, predictability, and that the law does not change arbitrarily.
Example sentences
Illustrative sentences for learning, not verified community posts or sourced quotations.
The ruling set a dangerous precedent that could be used to justify far broader restrictions.
Overturning precedent is one of the most significant acts a court can perform.
Precedent is how law encodes the wisdom and mistakes of every court that came before.
Synonyms
prior ruling, established case, legal authority, example
Antonyms
novel case, first ruling, unprecedented decision
Related words
Precedent vs binding authority
Precedent describes a past case used for guidance. Binding authority refers to specific precedents that a court is legally obligated to follow based on hierarchy.
Word in the Wild
See how this word appears in life, language and stories.
Illustrative sentences and imagined stories for learning — not verified sightings, interviews, or sourced quotations.
Fictional scene
Adult Standing in Courtroom
An adult stands in a vast, quiet, wood-paneled courtroom, holding a single document.
The formal environment and the document represent the legal framework of precedent, where established rulings serve as the authoritative foundation for the adult's commitment to the gravity of the law.
Image credit: Wordspun · AI-generated conceptual illustration