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The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 (gcide)

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.
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Examples for cases can but direct as precedents
only. --Hooker.
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2. A preceding circumstance or condition; an antecedent;
hence, a prognostic; a token; a sign. [Obs.]
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3. A rough draught of a writing which precedes a finished
copy. [Obs.] --Shak.
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4. (Law) 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.
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Syn: Example; antecedent.

Usage: {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.
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Precedent \Pre*ced"ent\, a. [L. praecedens, -entis, p. pr. of
praecedere: cf. F. pr['e]c['e]dent. See {Precede}.]
Going before; anterior; preceding; antecedent; as, precedent
services. --Shak. "A precedent injury." --Bacon.
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{Condition precedent} (Law), a condition which precede the
vesting of an estate, or the accruing of a right.
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