precedent

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition

1. n. An act or instance that may be used as an example in dealing with subsequent similar instances.
2. n. Law A judicial decision that may be used as a standard in subsequent similar cases: a landmark decision that set a legal precedent.
3. n. Convention or custom arising from long practice: The President followed historical precedent in forming the Cabinet.
4. adj. Preceding.

Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia

1. (prē˙-sē′ dent). Preceding; going before in the order of time; antecedent; anterior; previous; former.
2. n. (pres′ ē˙-dent). A preceding action or circumstance which may serve as a pattern or example in subsequent cases; an antecedent instance which creates a rule for following cases; a model instance.
3. n. Specifically, in law: A judicial decision, interlocutory or final, which serves as a rule for future determinations in similar or analogous cases.
4. n. A form of proceeding or of an instrument followed or deemed worthy to be followed as a pattern in similar or analogous cases.
5. n. A custom, habit, or rule established; previous example or usage.
6. n. A presage; sign; indication.
7. n. An original, as the original draft of a writing.
8. n. Synonyms Pattern, Model, etc. See example.

Wiktionary

1. n. An act in the past which may be used as an example to help decide the outcome of similar instances in the future.
2. n. law A decided case which is cited or used as an example to justify a judgment in a subsequent case.
3. n. obsolete, with definite article The aforementioned (thing).
4. n. The previous version.
5. adj. Happening or taking place earlier in time; previous or preceding.
6. v. transitive, law To provide precedents for.
7. v. transitive, law To be a precedent for.

GNU Webster's 1913

1. adj. Going before; anterior; preceding; antecedent.
2. n. Something done or said that may serve as an example to authorize a subsequent act of the same kind; an authoritative example.
3. n. obsolete A preceding circumstance or condition; an antecedent; hence, a prognostic; a token; a sign.
4. n. obsolete A rough draught of a writing which precedes a finished copy.
5. n. (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.

WordNet 3.0

1. n. an example that is used to justify similar occurrences at a later time
2. n. a subject mentioned earlier (preceding in time)
3. adj. preceding in time, order, or significance
4. n. (civil law) a law established by following earlier judicial decisions
5. n. a system of jurisprudence based on judicial precedents rather than statutory laws