- (n.) A rough draught of a writing which precedes a finished copy.
- (n.) Something done or said that may serve as an example to authorize a subsequent act of the same kind; an authoritative example.
- (a.) Going before; anterior; preceding; antecedent; as, precedent services.
- (n.) 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.
- (n.) A preceding circumstance or condition; an antecedent; hence, a prognostic; a token; a sign.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary
| APA | Webster's. (2011). precedent. Retrieved September 22, 2026, from http://smartdefine.org/precedent/definitions/2048308 |
| Chicago | Webster's. 2011. "precedent" http://smartdefine.org/precedent/definitions/2048308 (accessed September 22, 2026). |
| Harvard | Webster's 2011, precedent, Smart Define, viewed 22 September, 2026, <http://smartdefine.org/precedent/definitions/2048308>. |
| MLA | Webster's. "precedent" 27 May 2011. Web. 22 September 2026. <http://smartdefine.org/precedent/definitions/2048308> |