precedential

American  

[pres-i-den-shuhl] / ˌprɛs ɪˈdɛn ʃəl /

adjective

1. of the nature of or constituting a precedent.

2. having precedence.

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precedential British  

/ ˌprɛsɪˈdɛnʃəl /

adjective

1. of, involving, or serving as a precedent

2. having precedence

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Other Word Forms

• nonprecedential adjective
• precedentially adverb
• unprecedential adjective

Etymology

Origin of precedential

First recorded in 1635–45; precedent + -ial

Example Sentences

City of Brandon was a straightforward precedential fix-it job.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 23, 2026

He said he really did not understand what the Supreme Court was trying to say in its shadow docket orders, and wasn’t really sure that they were precedential.

From Slate • Sep. 5, 2025

“At this point, Zafirov is a district court decision without precedential value,” wrote two corporate lawyers in a recent analysis.

From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 25, 2024

Dissents have, of course, no precedential value in the conventional sense.

From New York Times • Apr. 4, 2022

“So this is a good thing, both from the precedential level, but also for protecting people from this pollutant,” he said.

From Washington Post • Jan. 5, 2022