precedent
gb/pɹˈɛsɪdənt/ us/pɹˈɛsɪdənt/
C1
Anglais
~ 8900
Sens
0 sens
Nom
formal
C1
entity
1
earlier decision guiding later actions
A past decision or action that people use to help decide what to do in a similar situation later, especially in law.
Schéma d’usage :
a precedent for [something]
Erreur fréquente :
Learners often confuse "precedent" with "president" (the leader of a country or organization) and with "precedence" (priority or more importance). "Precedent" is usually countable (a precedent, several precedents) and refers to a past example that guides later decisions. It also commonly appears in the phrase "set a precedent" or "legal precedent."
Synonymes
example (More general and informal; does not necessarily suggest a guiding rule in law or official decisions.)
|
model (Emphasizes something to copy or follow, but less tied to legal or official contexts.)
Antonymes
innovation (Stresses doing something new without following any earlier example or rule.)
|
departure (Highlights moving away from earlier examples or rules instead of following them.)
Collocations
set a precedent
|establish a precedent
|legal precedent
|follow precedent
|break with precedent
|without precedent
Thèmes
law
|politics
|business
Exemples
- The ruling sets an important precedent for future discrimination cases.
- There is no clear precedent for how the court should handle online privacy disputes.
- Breaking with precedent, the committee allowed remote voting for the first time.
- Lawyers searched for a legal precedent that supported their argument.
- The government is worried that making an exception here will create a dangerous precedent.
Exemples pédagogiques
- This court decision will be a precedent for other cases.
- The judge looked for a precedent before making a final decision.
- If we pay him extra now, it may set a precedent for other workers.
- There is no precedent for closing the school for so many days.
- The company followed the precedent set by its main competitor.
Nom
formal
C1
entity
2
established way of doing things
A usual and accepted way of doing something, because it has been done that way before.
Schéma d’usage :
by precedent, [someone] [does something]
Erreur fréquente :
Learners may not realize that in some contexts "precedent" refers not just to one earlier case, but to an established pattern or practice that comes from past decisions. In these cases, words like "tradition" or "custom" may sound more natural in everyday speech.
Synonymes
tradition (Focuses more on culture or habits over time, not always on formal decisions.)
|
custom (Suggests a regular, socially accepted practice rather than a formally decided rule.)
Antonymes
change (Emphasizes doing things differently from established ways based on earlier decisions.)
|
reform (Highlights intentionally altering or replacing established practices.)
Collocations
by precedent
|according to precedent
|question established precedent
|respect precedent
|administrative precedent
Thèmes
society
|culture
|law
|daily_life
|core_vocabulary
Exemples
- By precedent, the vice-chair takes over when the chair resigns.
- The committee chose to follow precedent rather than rewrite the rules.
- Challenging long-standing precedent in the organization proved difficult.
- According to precedent, new members speak last during the first meeting.
- Some lawyers argue that social values have changed and that precedent should no longer control this issue.
Exemples pédagogiques
- By precedent, the oldest member leads the group.
- The school follows precedent and closes on that holiday.
- The manager did not want to break precedent.
- They changed the usual precedent for choosing a team leader.
- According to precedent, we start the meeting with reports.
adjective
formal
C2
relation
3
existing or happening before
Coming earlier in time or order than something else.
Schéma d’usage :
a precedent [event / condition / agreement]
Erreur fréquente :
Learners may rarely meet "precedent" as an adjective and instead expect "previous" or "prior." In modern English, using "previous" is usually safer and more natural in speech; adjective "precedent" appears mainly in legal or very formal writing.
Synonymes
previous (More common and neutral; used in many everyday contexts, not just formal or legal ones.)
|
prior (Very close in meaning; also formal, often used in legal or official writing.)
Antonymes
subsequent (Formal opposite, meaning happening or coming later in time or order.)
|
later (More general and informal word for something that comes after in time.)
Collocations
precedent contract
|precedent event
|precedent condition
|precedent agreement
Thèmes
time
|law
|core_vocabulary
Exemples
- The precedent contract will remain in force until a new one is signed.
- He argued that the precedent agreement between the two countries should still apply.
- Under the precedent arrangement, employees worked from home only once a week.
- The parties confirmed that all precedent negotiations were now superseded by the final document.
- Any precedent conditions must be satisfied before the sale is completed.
Exemples pédagogiques
- The precedent plan is no longer useful.
- They changed the precedent agreement last year.
- This report corrects errors in the precedent document.
- The company followed the precedent policy until 2020.
- We will cancel all precedent orders after the new system starts.
Grammaire
Forme canonique
precedent
API
GB/pɹˈɛsɪdənt/
US/pɹˈɛsɪdənt/
Syllabes et accentuation
pre - ced - ent (3 syllabes)
Stress on 1st syllable (pre)
Formes du mot
Noun
- Base: precedent
- Plural: precedent, precedents
Famille de mots
Forms
precedents
noun
Core family
precede
verb B2
precedence
noun
Related words
predecessor
noun B2
Negative and opposite forms
unprecedented
adjective C1
Advanced or less common
precedential
adjective
Expressions
break with precedent
1/bɹˈeɪk wˈɪθ pɹˈɛsɪdənt/
fixed phrase
formal
do something unlike earlier practice
To do something in a new way, not following how it was usually done in the past.
Exemples
- The prime minister broke with precedent by appointing a non-politician as finance minister.
- Breaking with precedent, the school invited students to help write the new rules.
establish a precedent
1/ɪstˈæblɪʃ ə pɹˈɛsɪdənt/
fixed phrase
formal
create an official first pattern
To make a first official decision or way of doing something that people will probably follow later.
Exemples
- The Supreme Court established a precedent that lower courts must now follow.
- The company does not want to establish a precedent of paying bonuses every quarter.
follow precedent
1/fˈɑloʊ pɹˈɛsɪdənt/
fixed phrase
formal
do the same as before
To do something in the same way as it was done before in similar situations.
Exemples
- The court chose to follow precedent rather than create a new rule.
- The manager followed precedent and approved the request without discussion.
historical precedent
1/hɪstˈɔɹɪkəl pɹˈɛsɪdənt/
fixed phrase
formal
past historical event as example
A past event in history that people use to help explain or decide what to do in a similar situation now.
Exemples
- Commentators searched for a historical precedent for the rapid spread of the virus.
- There is little historical precedent for such a peaceful transfer of power in the region.
legal precedent
1/lˈiɡəl pɹˈɛsɪdənt/
fixed phrase
technical
earlier court decision as rule
A past court case or decision that judges use as a rule when they decide new cases that are similar.
Exemples
- The lawyer argued that there was strong legal precedent supporting her client's position.
- This case could become an important legal precedent for environmental law.
no precedent for
1/nˈoʊ pɹˈɛsɪdənt fɚ/
fixed phrase
no earlier case to follow
Used to say there is no past example to help decide what to do in this situation.
Exemples
- There is no precedent for canceling the election at such short notice.
- The committee has no precedent for dealing with complaints on social media.
set a precedent
1/sˈɛt ə pɹˈɛsɪdənt/
fixed phrase
create a guiding first example
To do something for the first time in a way that may be copied or followed in similar situations later.
Exemples
- Allowing employees to work from home two days a week sets a precedent for other departments.
- If the school changes the rule for one student, it could set a precedent for many others.
- The judge worries that a light sentence will set a bad precedent.
without precedent
1/wɪðˈaʊt pɹˈɛsɪdənt/
fixed phrase
formal
having no earlier example
Used to say that something has never happened before, or that there is no similar case from the past.
Exemples
- The scale of the economic crisis is without precedent in modern times.
- Such a move is without precedent in the history of the company.