Precedent

How to spell precedent

9 letters · 3 syllables

How to pronounce precedent

Say the part in capitals loudest.

What does precedent mean?

1. nounAn earlier action, decision, or event that serves as an example or rule for later ones.

Precedent in a sentence

• The judge cited an old case as a binding precedent for her ruling.

• Approving the bonus would set a costly precedent for future pay claims.

Where does precedent come from?

Language of origin: Latin

This word traces back to the Latin verb praecedere, meaning literally 'to go before', formed from prae 'before' and cedere 'to go' or 'to yield'. The same cedere root sits inside a whole family of English words such as 'proceed', 'recede', and 'concede', all of which involve some kind of going or yielding. English took 'precedent' through Old French in the late 1300s, and from the start it described something that came earlier and could serve as a guide or example for what followed. Lawyers seized on it especially, using it for an earlier court decision that later judges treat as a rule. Remembering that hidden 'ced' meaning 'go' helps explain the spelling: it is pre-CED-ent, not the 'pres' of 'president', even though the two words sound almost identical.

How the word is built

• pre- (before)
• ced (to go, from Latin cedere)
• -ent (noun/adjective suffix)