Asked by: Kayleigh Sporer
Score: 4.4/5
(24 votes)
This does not meant that precedented is not a word; it is an uncommon one (“supported or justified by a precedent”) but can be found. In its initial use, in the beginning of the 17th century, the word was spelled presidented.
What is the meaning of precedented?
1 : an earlier occurrence of something similar. 2a : something done or said that may serve as an example or rule to authorize or justify a subsequent act of the same or an analogous kind a verdict that had no precedent.
How do you use unprecedented times in a sentence?
- «These are unprecedented times. …
- «We are in unprecedented times. …
- We’re living in unprecedented times. …
- These are unprecedented times in Europe. …
- Unprecedented times will be with us for a while. …
- But obviously we’re in period of unprecedented times. …
- They know as well as anyone that these are unprecedented times.
What is precedent and unprecedented?
As adjectives the difference between precedent and unprecedented. is that precedent is happening or taking place earlier in time; previous or preceding while unprecedented is never before seen or done, without precedent.
What is an example of a precedent?
The definition of precedent is a decision that is the basis or reason for future decisions. An example of precedent is the legal decision in Brown v. Board of Education guiding future laws about desegregation. … (law) A decided case which is cited or used as an example to justify a judgment in a subsequent case.
31 related questions found
What does precedence mean in law?
Precedent refers to a court decision that is considered as authority for deciding subsequent cases involving identical or similar facts, or similar legal issues. … Precedent is generally established by a series of decisions.
How do you use the word precedent?
Precedent in a Sentence ?
- The judges had no precedent to review before making their decision on the controversial case.
- When the court voted in favor of same-sex marriage, it had no idea of the precedent it was setting for future generations.
What does Unpresented mean?
: not presented the meeting adjourned with several proposals unpresented.
What does it mean to have no precedent?
When something contradicts an established precedent or prevailing custom or practice, it is said to «break with precedent» or «go against precedent.» Another common collocation is «without precedent» in reference to something not supported by a prior example or ruling.
What is not a precedent?
So the adjective unprecedented, meaning «having no precedent,» was formed from the prefix un- «not,» the noun precedent, and the suffix –ed «having.» Definitions of unprecedented. adjective. having no precedent; novel. “an unprecedented expansion in population and industry”
Can you use the word unprecedented in a sentence?
Unprecedented sentence example. The preparations were made on an unprecedented scale. Under a government which allowed to the people an unprecedented liberty of speech. … It is unprecedented for so many nations to change their form of government so quickly and peacefully.
What does unprecedentedly mean?
adjective. without previous instance; never before known or experienced; unexampled or unparalleled: an unprecedented event.
What does Presadent mean?
prĕzĭ-dənt, -dĕnt. One appointed or elected to preside over an organized body of people, such as an assembly or meeting. noun.
What does presidence mean?
1 : the action or fact of presiding : direction, superintendence by the presidence and guidance of an unseen governing power— William Wollaston. 2 : presidency sense 1a preserve both the senate and the presidence— P. G. Hamerton.
What does it mean to take precedence?
somewhat formal. : to be more important (than something else) When it comes to making health care decisions, the patient’s preference should take precedence. —often + over The safety of the children has/takes precedence over everything else.
What does it mean to set a precedence?
: to decide something that will be used as an example or rule to be followed in the future The ruling in the case is likely to set a precedent for how future cases are decided.
Is Nonpresent a word?
A nonpresent tense. Not present; absent.
What does word Unequalled mean?
: not equaled : unparalleled an artist of unequaled talent.
What is the synonym of precedence?
ascendancy. (also ascendency), preeminence, primacy, supremacy.
How are precedents created?
Where the court hears a case that involves, for instance, a law and/or a set of facts that have never come before the courts, then the outcome will create an ‘original precedent’that future judges will follow.
Adjective
behavior that may be explained by a precedent event in her troubled life
Noun
Suddenly, against all historical precedent just for that week, the Federal Emergency Management Agency would have morphed into a well-organized and dependable outfit.
—
John McWhorter, National Review, 26 Sept. 2005
On July 12, in an action that seems to have been without precedent, the House voted, 355-0, to condemn a scientific article.
—Jonathan Rauch, National Journal, 7 Aug. 1999
In cases close-run enough to require the Supreme court to decide them, precedent and principle are elastic enough, or complex enough, that justices can often decide either way without brazenly contradicting themselves.
—Henry Louis Gates, Jr., New Republic, 20 & 27 Sept. 1993
We begin to appreciate the mystery when we realize that the act of naming, or denotation, is generically without precedent in natural history.
—Walker Percy, «Naming And Being,» 1960,
in Signposts in a Strange Land, 1991
The judge’s ruling was based on a precedent established by an earlier decision.
He says that the government will set a dangerous precedent if it refuses to allow the protesters to hold a rally.
The judge’s ruling was based on legal precedent.
See More
Recent Examples on the Web
Judge Barrett did not entirely embrace the notion of super-precedent.
—Jonathan Turley, WSJ, 15 Oct. 2020
Many legal scholars question the basis for declaring an ever-wider array of cases to be super-precedent as a way to protect favored rulings.
—Jonathan Turley, WSJ, 15 Oct. 2020
Britain has no clear privacy law, so precedent matters.
—The Economist, 3 Oct. 2019
While white and Black children stripped of their citizenship under the precedent set by Wise would be able to apply for naturalization, Asian ones would not, meaning they’d be reclassified as permanent aliens.
—Hardeep Dhillon, Smithsonian Magazine, 27 Mar. 2023
This precedent could prove costly for lenders on the continent by further pushing up their funding costs.
—Christiaan Hetzner, Fortune, 24 Mar. 2023
There is an important precedent for convening international exhibitions that range freely across multiple disciplines, including art and science: the world fairs and grand expositions of the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
—Philip Kennicott, Washington Post, 23 Mar. 2023
The January decision can be used as precedent for similar cases across Latin America, according to experts.
—Nick Roll, The Christian Science Monitor, 21 Mar. 2023
But the real damage is the precedent the write-down may have set, said Benamou of Axiom Alternative Investments.
—Anna Cooban, CNN, 20 Mar. 2023
What is the historical precedent for viruses jumping species from animals to humans, causing a pandemic?
—Marlow Stern, Rolling Stone, 20 Mar. 2023
Philhours, the presiding judge, found good reason to grant delays, and his fellow justices broke with precedent by not accepting his reasoning, particularly in a complicated case like the defendant’s, Womack stated.
—John Lynch, Arkansas Online, 18 Mar. 2023
That’s because these are new laws, virtually untested and unguided by case precedent.
—Brent Schrotenboer, USA TODAY, 16 Mar. 2023
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These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word ‘precedent.’ Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
прецедент, предшествующий
существительное ↓
- (судебный) прецедент
to set /to create/ a precedent — создать прецедент 
to invoke a precedent — сослаться на прецедент
without precedent — беспрецедентный, не имеющий прецедента, беспримерный, небывалый
there’s no precedent for this — это беспрецедентный случай
прилагательное ↓
- предшествующий
precedent events — предшествующие события
precedent chapter — предшествующая глава
conditions precedent — предварительные условия
Мои примеры
Словосочетания
behavior that may be explained by a precedent event in her troubled life — поведение, которое можно объяснить одним из предшествующих событий в её нелегкой жизни
to set / create / establish a precedent — создать прецедент
precedent in nobility — превосходящий в знатности
to follow the precedent — следовать прецеденту
view of some precedent years — обзор за несколько прошедших лет
to cite precedent — ссылаться на прецедент
condition precedent — предварительное условие
precedent condition — предварительное условие
constitute a precedent — юр. установить прецедент
establish a precedent — создавать прецедент
judicial precedent — судебный прецедент
Примеры с переводом
We are challenged to produce a precedent.
Нас поставили перед необходимостью создать прецедент.
An epidemic on this scale is without precedent.
Эпидемия такого масштаба не имеет прецедентов.
UN involvement in the country’s affairs would set a dangerous precedent.
Вмешательство ООН в дела этой страны создало бы опасный прецедент.
The judge’s ruling was based on legal precedent.
Решение судьи было основано на правовом прецеденте.
The outcome of the case will set a legal precedent.
Исход данного дела установит юридический прецедент.
There’s not much precedent for men taking leave when their baby is born.
Не так часто случается, что мужчины берут отпуск, когда у них рождается ребёнок.
He says that the government will set a dangerous precedent if it refuses to allow the protesters to hold a rally.
Он говорит, что правительство создаст опаснейший прецедент, если откажется позволить протестующим провести митинг.
The judge’s ruling was based on a precedent established by an earlier decision.
Решение суда было основано на прецеденте, созданном в результате ранее принятого решения.
Возможные однокоренные слова
Формы слова
noun
ед. ч.(singular): precedent
мн. ч.(plural): precedents
Legal language is notorious for containing jargon and indecipherable, counterintuitive linguistic constructions. When some of these words are homophones with other English words, the situation becomes even less comprehensible.
Precedence and precedents are two such words. Precedents is fairly common in legal English. It sounds the same as precedence when spoken aloud, even though it means something else, making these two words homophones.
How is a writer to distinguish between these confusing words? Luckily, even though they appear similar, these words have separate usage cases and can never be substituted for each other. As long as you know their meanings, you should always be able to remember when to use each.
To that end, continue reading for a thorough explanation of the differences between these two words. Is the word you are looking for precedent or precedence?
What is the Difference Between Precedence and Precedent?
In this post, I will compare precedence vs. precedent. I will use each of these words in example sentences; this way, you can see them in context.
Following that, I will give you a memory tool that will help you choose precedence or precedents correctly next time you need one of these words.
When to Use Precedence
What does precedence mean? Precedence is a noun. Something that takes precedence has priority over other things. Your family might take precedence over your job or your career.
The word is related to the verb precede, which means to come before.
Here are a few example sentences,
- “I know you want to finish the file updates, but the system audit takes precedence this week,” said Jim’s boss.
- Vehicle repairs and routine maintenance have precedence over cosmetic upgrades and luxury appointments.
- “Your homework takes precedence over those silly video games you play,” said Phil’s mom each night.
- Addressing our attitudes toward work, Dreher proposes deprioritizing headlong professional advancement in favor of a more balanced, integrated life in which faith and community take precedence. –The Washington Post
In this everyday sense, precedence has nothing to do with the law or legal matters.
When to Use Precedent
What does precedent mean? Precedent is also a noun. A precedent, or in the plural form precedents, is an event that has already happened.
In legal contexts, precedents are existing court rulings that are used as reference points for a working interpretation of the law.
See the sentences below for examples,
- The law student thumbed through a heavy stack of legal precedents in the library.
- “There are no precedents for this type of animosity,” mused several journalists.
- “I am interested in the precedents that lead to his outbursts,” said the behavior specialist.
- Judge Gorsuch was just applying court precedent as it existed at the time, the senator says. –The Wall Street Journal
It is common to hear something say, “This sets a bad precedent for the future.” In this case, precedence would not be appropriate.
Similarly, when something is without precedent, it is said to be unprecedented.
Trick to Remember the Difference
Now, let’s go over trick to remember precedent vs. precedence.
- Precedence is a noun that can be used as a synonym for priority in many contexts.
- Precedent is also a noun, but it refers to an event that came before.
The words are pronounced as homophones, and are thus quite confusing, but with this trick, remembering them will be easy.
Since precedents has a T, like court, you should be able to easily remember that precedents is a common term in legal writing.
Summary
Is it precedence or precedent? Precedence and precedents are homophones, but they cannot be substituted for each other. Each word has its own separate usage case.
- Precedence means top priority.
- Precedent means existing court rulings in legal contexts.
To remind yourself that precedents is often a legal term, remember that precedents and court each contain the letter T.
Don’t forget, you can always check this article for a quick refresher any time you need a reminder of these words’ meanings.
Contents
- 1 What is the Difference Between Precedence and Precedent?
- 2 When to Use Precedence
- 3 When to Use Precedent
- 4 Trick to Remember the Difference
- 5 Summary
English[edit]
Alternative forms[edit]
- præcedent (archaic)
Etymology[edit]
From Middle French, from Old French, from Latin praecēdēns, present participle of praecēdere (“to precede”); See precede.
Pronunciation[edit]
- (adjective):
- IPA(key): /pɹɪˈsiː.dənt/
- (noun):
- (Received Pronunciation, General American, Canada) enPR: prĕsʹĭ-dənt, IPA(key): /ˈpɹɛs.ɪ.dənt/
- (General Australian, Ireland) IPA(key): /ˈpɹiː.sə.dənt/, /ˈpɹɛs-/
- (New Zealand) IPA(key): /ˈpɹes.ə.dənt/, /ˈpɹiː-/, /ˈpɹɛs-/, /-dɘnt/
Noun[edit]
precedent (plural precedents)
- An act in the past which may be used as an example to help decide the outcome of similar instances in the future.
-
- Examples for cases can but direct as precedents only.
-
- (law) A decided case which is cited or used as an example to justify a judgment in a subsequent case.
- An established habit or custom.
- (obsolete, with definite article) The aforementioned (thing).
- , New York 2001, p.74:
- A third argument may be derived from the precedent.
- , New York 2001, p.74:
- The previous version.
- (obsolete) A rough draught of a writing which precedes a finished copy.
-
c. 1596 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Life and Death of King Iohn”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act V, scene ii]:
-
My Lord Melun, let this be copied out,
I did suppose it should be on constraint ;
And keep it safe for our remembrance :
But , heaven be thank’d , it is but voluntary ,
Return the precedent to these lords again
-
-
Coordinate terms[edit]
- (a case used as an example to justify a judgment in a subsequent one): case law
Derived terms[edit]
terms derived from precedent (noun)
Translations[edit]
past act used as example
- Arabic: سَابِقَة f (sābiqa)
- Asturian: precedente m
- Belarusian: прэцэдэ́нт m (precedént)
- Bulgarian: прецеде́нт (bg) m (precedént)
- Catalan: precedent m
- Chinese:
- Mandarin: 實例／实例 (zh) (shílì), 範例／范例 (zh) (fànlì), 事例 (zh) (shìlì), 先例 (zh) (xiānlì), 前例 (zh) (qiánlì)
- Czech: precedens (cs) n, precedent (cs) m
- Dutch: precedent (nl)
- Finnish: ennakkotapaus (fi)
- French: précédent (fr)
- Galician: precedente m
- Georgian: პრეცედენტი (ṗrecedenṭi)
- German: Präzedenz (de) n, Präzedenzfall (de) m
- Greek: προηγούμενο (el) n (proïgoúmeno)
- Hebrew: תַּקְדִּים (he) m (takdím)
- Hungarian: precedens (hu)
- Italian: precedente (it) m
- Japanese: 先例 (ja) (せんれい, senrei), 前例 (ja) (ぜんれい, zenrei)
- Korean: 사례(事例) (ko) (sarye), 전례(前例) (ko) (jeollye)
- Macedonian: преседа́н m (presedán)
- Maori: tauira (mi)
- Norwegian:
- Bokmål: presedens m
- Nynorsk: presedens m
- Polish: precedens (pl) m
- Portuguese: precedente (pt) m
- Romanian: precedent (ro)
- Russian: прецеде́нт (ru) m (precedént)
- Spanish: precedente (es) m
- Tagalog: kasumundan
- Turkish: emsal (tr), teamül (tr)
- Ukrainian: прецеде́нт (uk) m (precedént)
leading case which is cited to justify a judgment
- Bulgarian: прецедент (bg) m (precedent)
- Catalan: precedent m
- Chinese:
- Mandarin: 判例 (zh) (pànlì)
- Dutch: jurisprudentie (nl)
- Esperanto: precedento, precedenco
- Finnish: ennakkotapaus (fi)
- French: décision de principe f
- Galician: precedente m
- Georgian: პრეცედენტი (ṗrecedenṭi)
- German: Präjudiz (de) f
- Greek: δεδικασμένο (el) n (dedikasméno)
- Hebrew: תַּקְדִּים (he) m (takdím)
- Hungarian: precedens (hu)
- Italian: pregiudiziale (it) f
- Japanese: 判例 (ja) (hanrei)
- Korean: 판례(判例) (ko) (pallye) (law only)
- Macedonian: преседа́н m (presedán)
- Norwegian:
- Bokmål: prejudikat (no) n
- Nynorsk: prejudikat n
- Polish: precedens (pl) m
- Portuguese: precedente (pt) m
- Russian: прецеде́нт (ru) m (precedént)
- Spanish: precedente (es) m
- Swedish: prejudikat (sv) n
- Turkish: içtihat (tr)
Adjective[edit]
precedent (not comparable)
- Happening or taking place earlier in time; previous or preceding. [from 14th c.]
- (now rare) Coming before in a particular order or arrangement; preceding, foregoing. [from 15th c.]
-
1624, Democritus Junior [pseudonym; Robert Burton], The Anatomy of Melancholy: […], 2nd edition, Oxford, Oxfordshire: Printed by John Lichfield and James Short, for Henry Cripps, →OCLC, partition III, section 2, member 1, subsection i:
-
In the precedent section mention was made, amongst other pleasant objects, of this comeliness and beauty which proceeds from women […].
-
-
Translations[edit]
earlier in time
- Bengali: সাবেক (bn) (śabek)
- Bulgarian: предишен (bg) (predišen), предхождащ (bg) (predhoždašt)
- Chinese:
- Mandarin: please add this translation if you can
- Finnish: edeltävä (fi)
- French: précédent (fr)
- Georgian: წინა (c̣ina), წინამავალი (c̣inamavali), წინამორბედი (c̣inamorbedi)
- Greek: προηγούμενος (el) (proïgoúmenos)
- Italian: precedente (it)
- Macedonian: пре́тходен (préthoden)
- Russian: предше́ствующий (ru) (predšéstvujuščij), предыду́щий (ru) (predydúščij)
- Tagalog: kasumundan
Verb[edit]
precedent (third-person singular simple present precedents, present participle precedenting, simple past and past participle precedented)
- (transitive, law) To provide precedents for.
- (transitive, law) To be a precedent for.
See also[edit]
- stare decisis
Anagrams[edit]
- precented
Catalan[edit]
Etymology[edit]
From Latin praecēdēns.
Adjective[edit]
precedent (masculine and feminine plural precedents)
- previous, preceding
Noun[edit]
precedent m (plural precedents)
- precedent
[edit]
- precedència
- precedir
Further reading[edit]
- “precedent” in Diccionari de la llengua catalana, segona edició, Institut d’Estudis Catalans.
- “precedent”, in Gran Diccionari de la Llengua Catalana, Grup Enciclopèdia Catalana, 2023
- “precedent” in Diccionari normatiu valencià, Acadèmia Valenciana de la Llengua.
- “precedent” in Diccionari català-valencià-balear, Antoni Maria Alcover and Francesc de Borja Moll, 1962.
Czech[edit]
Noun[edit]
precedent m
- precedent (past act used as example)
- Synonym: precedens
[edit]
- See cese
Further reading[edit]
- precedent in Kartotéka Novočeského lexikálního archivu
- precedent in Slovník spisovného jazyka českého, 1960–1971, 1989
Dutch[edit]
Etymology[edit]
Borrowed from Middle French precedent. First attested in the 16th century.
Pronunciation[edit]
- IPA(key): /ˌpreː.seːˈdɛnt/, /ˌpreː.səˈdɛnt/
- Hyphenation: pre‧ce‧dent
- Rhymes: -ɛnt
Noun[edit]
precedent n (plural precedenten)
- precedent
Derived terms[edit]
- precedentwerking
Old French[edit]
Etymology[edit]
Borrowed from Latin praecēdēns. Compare Middle French preceder.
Adjective[edit]
precedent m (oblique and nominative feminine singular precedent or precedente)
- preceding; that comes before
-
1377, Bernard de Gordon, Fleur de lis de medecine (a.k.a. lilium medicine):
-
Fievre ethique vient sans fievre precedente
- Ethical[?] fever comes without a preceding fever
-
-
Romanian[edit]
Etymology[edit]
From French précédent.
Noun[edit]
precedent n (plural precedenți)
- precedent