precedent
- An earlier event, decision, or action that serves as an example or rule to be followed in similar future situations.
In a sentence
- The landmark ruling set a precedent that courts across the country would cite for decades.
- Managers worried that granting the request would set a precedent they could not sustain.
Usage note. Do not confuse 'precedent' (a prior example) with 'president' (a leader); they differ by one letter and are frequently misspelled in one another's place.
Where it comes from
English precedent · entered English 15th c.
From Old French 'precedent,' from Latin 'praecedentem' (preceding), the present participle of 'praecedere,' meaning 'to go before,' from 'prae' (before) and 'cedere' (to go). It entered English in the 15th century, primarily as a legal term referring to prior rulings that guide later judgments.