Synonyms for precedent
- adjective
- noun
Most common
Synonyms by meaning
Adjective
1. Antecedent — happening or taking place earlier in time; previous or preceding
antecedent, prior, preceding, previous, preliminary, precursor, former, anterior, precursory, foregoing, predecessive dated
Noun
1. Common law
2. Instance
Other
Definitions
- adj. 1
Happening or taking place earlier in time; previous or preceding.
- n. 1
An act in the past which may be used as an example to help decide the outcome of similar instances in the future.
- n. 2
A decided case which is cited or used as an example to justify a judgment in a subsequent case.
Related words
- Word family
- precedency precedential precedently
- Phrases
- condition precedent
Forms
- Plural
- precedents → examples, instances, patterns, scantlings…
Choose the right word
A precedent is an authoritative case, example, or instance. The communism of the early Christians in Jerusalem is a wonderful example or instance of Christian liberality, but not a precedent for the universal church through all time.
J. C. Fernald, English Synonyms and Antonyms (1914)
Example sentences
- antecedent Alchemy was the antecedent of chemistry.
Popularity over time
| Word | 1850 → 2019 | Trend |
|---|---|---|
| precedent | falling | |
| antecedent | steady | |
| precursory | steady |
Use in printed books, per decade from 1850 to 2019.
By length
- 5 letters
- prior2
- 6 letters
- former2
- 7 letters
- example3, pattern2
- 8 letters
- previous3, instance2, anterior4
- 9 letters
- preceding3, precursor3, foregoing3, scantling
- 10 letters
- antecedent4, precursory
- 11 letters
- preliminary5
- 12 letters
- predecessive
The small number after each word is its number of syllables (prior2 = 2 syllables).