Adjective:

• IPA: /pɹɪˈsiː.dənt/

  Noun:

• (GA, RP) enPR: prĕsʹĭ-dənt, IPA: /ˈpɹɛs.ɪ.dənt/
• (Aus, New Zealand) IPA: /ˈpɹes.ə.dənt/, /ˈpɹiː.sə.dənt/

precedent (plural precedents)

1. An act in the past which may be used as an example to help decide the outcome of similar instances in the future.

   • Examples for cases can but direct as precedents only.

2. (legal) A decided case which is cited or used as an example to justify a judgment in a subsequent case.
3. An established habit or custom.
4. (obsolete, with definite article) The aforementioned (thing).
   • 1624, Democritus Junior [pseudonym; Robert Burton], The Anatomy of Melancholy: […], 2nd edition, Oxford, Oxfordshire: Printed by John Lichfield and James Short, for Henry Cripps, OCLC 54573970 ↗:

     , New York 2001, p.74:

     A third argument may be derived from the precedent.

5. The previous version.
6. (obsolete) A rough draught of a writing which precedes a finished copy.

• French: précédent
• German: Präzedens
• Italian: precedente
• Portuguese: precedente
• Russian: прецеде́нт
• Spanish: precedente

• French: décision de principe
• German: Präjudiz
• Italian: pregiudiziale
• Portuguese: precedente
• Russian: прецеде́нт
• Spanish: precedente

precedent (not comparable)

1. Happening or taking place earlier in time; previous or preceding. [from 14th c.]
2. (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: Printed by John Lichfield and James Short, for Henry Cripps, OCLC 54573970 ↗, 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 […].

• French: précédent
• Italian: precedente
• Russian: предше́ствующий

precedent (precedents, present participle precedenting; past and past participle precedented)

1. (transitive, legal) To provide precedents for.
2. (transitive, legal) To be a precedent for.