Category:Precedent

Pre*ced"ent, a. Etym: [l. praecedens, -entis, p. pr. of praecedere: Cf. F. précédent. See precede.]

Defn: going before; anterior; preceding; antecedent; as, precedent Services. Shak. "a precedent injury." Bacon. Condition precedent (law), a condition which precede the vesting of an estate, or the Accruing of a right.

Precedent Prec"e*dent, n.

1. Something done or said that may serve as an example to authorize a Subsequent act of the same kind; an authoritative example. Examples for cases can but direct as precedents only. Hooker.

2. A preceding circumstance or condition; an antecedent; hence, a Prognostic; a token; a sign. [obs.]

3. A rough draught of a writing which precedes a finished copy. [obs.] Shak.

4. (law)

Defn: a judicial decision which serves as a rule for future Determinations in similar or analogous cases; an authority to be Followed in courts of justice; forms of proceeding to be followed in Similar cases. Wharton.

Syn. -- example; antecedent. -- precedent, example. An example in a similar case which may serve As a rule or guide, but has no authority out of itself. A precedent Is something which comes down to us from the past with the sanction Of usage and of common consent. We quote examples in literature, and Precedents in law.