precedent
noun
a legal decision or form of proceeding serving as an authoritative rule or pattern in future similar or analogous cases.
precedents
-
pluralof precedent.plural
The grammatical form denoting more than one person, place, thing, or idea.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
She went all-out, enthusiastically applying a maximalist interpretation of Supreme Court precedents.
From Slate ● Jul. 24, 2026
And some of that line crossing could set dangerous precedents.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 20, 2026
Ukraine is conducting a campaign with few precedents in military history.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 7, 2026
The judge stated that vacating the decision would allow parties to erase unfavorable rulings and hinder the accumulation of legal precedents.
From Barron's ● Jun. 11, 2026
—Isaac Asimov in the tenth-anniversary issue of The Skeptical Inquirer To follow foolish precedents, and wink with both our eyes, is easier than to think.
From "Innumeracy: Mathematical Illiteracy and Its Consequences" by John Allen Paulos
