precedent
B2-C1Formal, Academic, Legal
Definition
Meaning
An earlier event, decision, or case that serves as a guide or justification for subsequent similar circumstances.
In law, a previously decided case that is binding on or persuasive for a court when deciding later cases with similar issues or facts. More broadly, any established model or pattern that influences future actions or decisions.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
The word carries strong connotations of authority, tradition, and established procedure. It implies that past actions create a standard or expectation for the future. Can be neutral or negative depending on context (e.g., 'setting a dangerous precedent').
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
Usage is nearly identical in both varieties, with the legal sense being paramount. The word is slightly more frequent in American legal and political discourse.
Connotations
In UK contexts, may carry a stronger sense of historical tradition and unwritten constitutional convention. In US contexts, may be more frequently invoked in discussions of judicial activism vs. restraint.
Frequency
High frequency in legal, academic, and political contexts in both varieties. Lower frequency in everyday speech.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
set/establish/create a precedent (for something)there is a precedent (for something)(something) is without precedentfollow/cite a precedentbreak with/ignore precedentVocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “Set a precedent”
- “Without precedent”
- “Break with precedent”
- “Precedent suggests otherwise”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Used regarding company policy, negotiations, or compensation decisions. 'Granting remote work to one team sets a precedent for all departments.'
Academic
Used in history, political science, and law to discuss historical causality and institutional behaviour. 'The scholar argued the treaty created a precedent for multilateral intervention.'
Everyday
Used to justify a decision by referring to a past similar action. 'You let Sarah leave early yesterday, so there's a precedent for me to do the same.'
Technical
Core term in legal studies referring specifically to the doctrine of stare decisis (following precedent). 'The appellate court's ruling is a binding precedent for all lower courts in the circuit.'
Examples
By Part of Speech
noun
British English
- The ruling in the 1932 Donoghue v Stevenson case established a vital precedent in the law of negligence.
- There is no historical precedent for a monarch abdicating for such a reason in modern times.
- The manager was wary of setting a precedent by approving the unorthodox request.
American English
- The Supreme Court's decision in Brown v. Board of Education overturned the 'separate but equal' precedent.
- The company's generous parental leave policy created a new precedent in the tech industry.
- The lawyer cited several precedents from the Ninth Circuit to support her argument.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- If you allow one student to use a phone, it will set a bad precedent.
- There is no precedent for this kind of weather in April.
- The teacher followed the precedent set by her colleague.
- The judge's ruling was based on a legal precedent from a similar case last year.
- The company broke with precedent by appointing an external candidate as CEO.
- His actions created a dangerous precedent that others might try to follow.
- The attorney meticulously distinguished the present facts from the cited precedent, arguing it was not binding.
- The diplomatic breach was without precedent in the two nations' long relationship.
- Scholars debate whether the Munich Agreement established a precedent of appeasement that ultimately led to war.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think: 'PRE-CEDE-ent' – something that CAME BEFORE (pre-cedes) and therefore influences what COMES AFTER.
Conceptual Metaphor
THE PAST IS A GUIDE/PATH. Precedents are conceptualized as a path laid down by previous travelers, which one can choose to follow or leave.
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- False friend with 'прецедент' (pretsedent) – a direct loanword, meaning is identical. The main trap is pronunciation (/prɛtsɪ'dɛnt/ in Russian) vs. English stress on first syllable. Also, in Russian, the word can sound more bureaucratic or negative.
Common Mistakes
- Mispronunciation: /priːˈsiːdənt/ (confusion with verb 'precede').
- Misspelling: 'precedant', 'president'.
- Incorrect article use: 'It sets precedent' (should be 'sets a precedent' or 'sets precedent' in some fixed phrases).
Practice
Quiz
What is the primary function of a legal precedent?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
No. 'Precedent' (noun) is stressed on the first syllable: /ˈprɛs.ɪ.dənt/. 'President' is also stressed on the first syllable but has a /z/ sound and different vowel: /ˈprɛz.ɪ.dənt/. The verb 'precede' is stressed on the second syllable: /prɪˈsiːd/.
Rarely in modern English. The adjectival form is largely obsolete. Use 'preceding' or 'prior' instead. The primary part of speech is a noun.
In law, a binding precedent must be followed by a lower court in the same jurisdiction. A persuasive precedent (from a different jurisdiction or a lower court) may be considered and argued but is not mandatory to follow.
It means something is unprecedented; it has never happened or been done before. It emphasises uniqueness and a lack of any prior example to follow.
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