precedent
adjective
, ˈpre-sə-dənt
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Definition of precedent
(Entry 1 of 2)
precedent
noun
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Definition of precedent (Entry 2 of 2)
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Synonyms & Antonyms for precedent
Synonyms: Adjective
antecedent, anterior, foregoing, former, preceding, previous, prior
Antonyms: Adjective
after, ensuing, following, later, posterior, subsequent, succeeding
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Examples of precedent in a Sentence
Adjective
behavior that may be explained by a precedent event in her troubled lifeNoun
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.
Recent Examples on the Web: Noun
On Sunday, enter Iran's Foreign Minister, Javad Zarif, at Macron's invite, an arrival almost without precedent at such events. — Nic Robertson, CNN, "Macron shook up the G7 with his fancy diplomatic footwork," 26 Aug. 2019 The removal of accounts associated with the Chinese government is a significant move but not without precedent, researchers said, given the criticism social media platforms fielded for not adequately cracking down on disinformation in the past. — Suhauna Hussainstaff Writer, Los Angeles Times, "Facebook, Twitter accuse China of spreading Hong Kong disinformation," 19 Aug. 2019 Even though Trump's own senior aides are baffled by the idea and are unsure whether to take it seriously, the notion is not without precedent. — Author: Rick Noack, Claire Parker, Anchorage Daily News, "Greenland to Trump: We are not for sale," 16 Aug. 2019 Violence without precedent is nearly impossible for humans or machines to predict. — Kristina Libby, Popular Mechanics, "Why Tech Will Never Be Able to Predict the Next Mass Shooting," 6 Aug. 2019 But without a map, without precedent, an untested, unproven answer was the only answer possible. — Charles Graeber, WIRED, "How Scientists Built a ‘Living Drug’ to Beat Cancer," 25 July 2019 The Guard’s deployment began in mid-June at Mexico’s southern border, and will continue to spread throughout the country—including in Mexico City, a move considered nearly without precedent—with 70,000 in position by year’s end. — Madeleine Wattenbarger, The New Republic, "Did the Mexican People Really Win?," 5 July 2019 The bold program is without precedent in the U.S., but serves as a testament to many states’ increasingly aggressive and innovative efforts to reduce drug overdose deaths. — STAT, "In national first, N.J. program will let paramedics administer buprenorphine," 26 June 2019 This move, while surprising, is not without precedent. — Alex Abad-santos, Vox, "Bella Thorne and Whoopi Goldberg’s fight over nude photos is bigger than both of them," 21 June 2019These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'precedent.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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More Definitions for precedent
precedent
noun
English Language Learners Definition of precedent
See the full definition for precedent in the English Language Learners Dictionary
precedent
noun
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Kids Definition of precedent
precedent
adjective