precedent

IPA: prˈɛsɪdʌnt

An act in the past which may be used as an example to help decide the outcome of similar instances in the future.
(law) A decided case which is cited or used as an example to justify a judgment in a subsequent case.
An established habit or custom.
(obsolete, with definite article) The aforementioned (thing).
The previous version.
(obsolete) A rough draught of a writing which precedes a finished copy.

Happening or taking place earlier in time; previous or preceding.
(now rare) Coming before in a particular order or arrangement; preceding, foregoing.

Examples of "precedent" in Sentences

Centuries of contrary precedent is certainly a “showing to contrary”.
But misconstruing precedent is what makes “the law” such a flexible weapon.
Also, unlike every other court in the country, no precedent is binding on the U.S.
But surely to Justice Breyer, and Souter and Ginsburg, who joined him, the precedent is the substance:
As Reza Aslan has pointed out in various interviews in the last few days, the Iranian precedent is that a movement feeds off martyrdom.
Supreme Court precedent is actually pretty clear, even in the Nevada case, the cops needed at least an reasonable pretext for asking forID.
Supreme Court precedent is actually pretty clear, even in the Nevada case, the cops needed at least an reasonable pretext for asking for ID.
Saying that this won't be a precedent is a little like the Supreme Court in Bush v. Gore saying that its decision was limited to the specific facts of that case.
If judges find this argument (in the greatly eleborated form that will eventually be presented to the courts) to be persuasive, then the Supreme Court precedent is very clear.
I think it makes much more sense to say that a precedent is being “applied” when there is no relevant difference that makes the rule of law announced in the precedent inapplicable.