- [countable, uncountable] an official action or decision that has happened in the past and that is seen as an example or a rule to be followed in a similar situation later
- The ruling set a precedent for future libel cases.
Extra Examples- Overturning a legal precedent is no easy matter.
- The judge based his decision on precedents set during the Middle Ages.
- There is no obvious precedent for this law.
- This case could serve as a precedent for others against the tobacco companies.
- This lowering of standards sets a dangerous precedent for future developments.
- The decision of the local authority was based on historical precedent.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- bad
- dangerous
- terrible
- …
- serve as
- have
- create
- …
- without precedent
- precedent for
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- [countable, uncountable] a similar action or event that happened earlier
- historical precedents
- There is no precedent for a disaster of this scale.
- without precedent Such protests are without precedent in recent history.
- The achievements of this period were without precedent in history.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- bad
- dangerous
- terrible
- …
- serve as
- have
- create
- …
- without precedent
- precedent for
- [uncountable] the way that things have always been done synonym tradition
- to break with precedent (= to do something in a different way)
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- bad
- dangerous
- terrible
- …
- serve as
- have
- create
- …
- without precedent
- precedent for
Word Originlate Middle English: from Old French, literally ‘preceding’.
Check pronunciation:
precedent