Precedent
A prior decision that guides future ones, whether honored, adapted, or abandoned. The mechanism of consistency and change, in law and in life.
How We Say It
presΒ·ΙΒ·dΙnt
Where It Comes From
Latin praecedere β to go before. The legal doctrine of stare decisis β to stand by decided cases β formalizes precedent as the basis of common law. Courts are generally bound by their own prior decisions and by higher courts' decisions.
How It's Been Used
In law: prior court decisions that must be followed unless overturned. In politics: established norms and practices that shape expectations even without legal force. The Supreme Court's 2022 overturning of Roe v. Wade β precedent since 1973 β raised questions about the doctrine's stability. Presidential precedents (two-term limit, peaceful transfer of power) function as constitutional norms even when not legally binding.