precept

American  

[pree-sept] / ˈpri sɛpt /

noun

precepts plural

1. a commandment or direction given as a rule of action or conduct.

   Synonyms:

   prescription, instruction, guide, order, directive

2. an injunction as to moral conduct; maxim.

3. a procedural directive or rule, as for the performance of some technical operation.

4. Law.

   1. a writ or warrant.

   2. a written order issued pursuant to law, as a sheriff's order for an election.

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precept British  

/ ˈpriːsɛpt /

noun

1. a rule or principle for action

2. a guide or rule for morals; maxim

3. a direction, esp for a technical operation

4. law

   1. a writ or warrant

   2. a written order to a sheriff to arrange an election, the empanelling of a jury, etc

   3. (in England) an order to collect money under a rate

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• precepts
  plural

Etymology

Origin of precept

1300–50; Middle English < Latin praeceptum piece of advice, rule, noun use of neuter of praeceptus, past participle of praecipere to direct, foresee, literally, to take beforehand, equivalent to prae- pre- + -cep-, combining form of capere to take + -tus past participle suffix

Explanation

A precept is a rule or direction, often with some religious basis, dictating a way you should act or behave. Precepts are little life lessons that are usually passed down to children by authority figures such as parents, teachers, or religious figures. They are not as simple or practical as "eat your vegetables"; they tend to be more weighty and pretentious. In Hamlet, the character Polonius dished out a few choice precepts to his son Laertes: "neither a borrower nor a lender be" and "give every man thy ear, but few thy voice." Of course Laertes never lived long enough to benefit from Polonius's sage advice, since Hamlet offed him with his own poisoned blade.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

precept precepts

Buffett was only applying a precept set down by his investment mentor, Benjamin Graham, in his classic primer “The Intelligent Investor.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 23, 2026

In a sprawling nation founded on the precept of individual liberty and populated primarily by immigrants from around the world, there was hardly one American experience.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 19, 2026

Council tax includes a so-called police precept, which helps fund services such as regular community policing.

From BBC ● Jun. 12, 2025

Comments below the video were largely supportive: "Your past does not define who you are," wrote one fan, a core American precept if ever there was one.

From Salon ● Apr. 4, 2025

So, one afternoon, while Grandmère was sleeping, I started thinking about sending him a precept from Paris.

From "Auggie & Me" by R. J. Palacio

Barron’s editors Lauren Rublin and Andrew Bary will be joined by Chris Davis, chairman of Davis Advisors, to discuss the current market climate, precepts of value investing, and some of his favorite stocks.

From Barron's ● Mar. 20, 2026

Yet in recent years Heritage has drifted from these precepts.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 8, 2026

The organization’s refusal to change from its founding precepts is what makes those precepts sacrosanct to some and archaic to others.

From Slate ● Sep. 10, 2025

Even Aristotle, who could be said to have launched literary criticism, set forth the precepts of tragedy by empirically studying the indelible examples of Aeschylus, Sophocles and Euripides.

From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 4, 2024

King Louis lost Lombardy, therefore, by not following any of the precepts observed by others who seized territories and wished to retain them.

From "The Prince" by Niccolò Machiavelli

Related Words

• axiom
• canon
• commandment
• doctrine
• dogma
• edict
• tenet