{
    "term": "precedent",
    "partOfSpeech": "noun",
    "academic": true,
    "ox5000": true,
    "cefr": "c1",
    "definitions": [
        {
            "senseNumber": 1,
            "definition": "an official action or decision that has happened in the past and that is seen as an example or a rule to be followed in a similar situation later",
            "cefr": "c1",
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "The ruling **set a precedent** for future libel cases."
                },
                {
                    "text": "Overturning a legal precedent is no easy matter."
                },
                {
                    "text": "The judge based his decision on precedents set during the Middle Ages."
                },
                {
                    "text": "There is no obvious precedent for this law."
                },
                {
                    "text": "This case could serve as a precedent for others against the tobacco companies."
                },
                {
                    "text": "This lowering of standards sets a dangerous precedent for future developments."
                },
                {
                    "text": "The decision of the local authority was based on historical precedent."
                }
            ],
            "collocations": {
                "adjective": ["bad", "dangerous", "terrible"],
                "verb + precedent": ["serve as", "have", "create"],
                "preposition": ["without precedent", "precedent for"]
            }
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": 2,
            "definition": "a similar action or event that happened earlier",
            "sensetop": "without precedent",
            "cefr": "c1",
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "historical precedents"
                },
                {
                    "text": "There is no precedent for a disaster of this scale."
                },
                {
                    "text": "Such protests are without precedent in recent history.",
                    "contextForm": "without precedent"
                },
                {
                    "text": "The achievements of this period were without precedent in history."
                }
            ],
            "collocations": {
                "adjective": ["bad", "dangerous", "terrible"],
                "verb + precedent": ["serve as", "have", "create"],
                "preposition": ["without precedent", "precedent for"]
            }
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": 3,
            "definition": "the way that things have always been done",
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "to break with precedent *(= to do something in a different way)*"
                }
            ],
            "synonyms": "tradition",
            "collocations": {
                "adjective": ["bad", "dangerous", "terrible"],
                "verb + precedent": ["serve as", "have", "create"],
                "preposition": ["without precedent", "precedent for"]
            }
        }
    ],
    "pronunciations": {
        "uk": [
            {
                "pronunciation": "/ˈpresɪdənt/",
                "audio": "pr/precedent/precedent__gb_1.mp3"
            }
        ],
        "us": [
            {
                "pronunciation": "/ˈpresɪdənt/",
                "audio": "pr/precedent/precedent__us_1.mp3"
            }
        ]
    },
    "wordOrigin": "late Middle English: from Old French, literally ‘preceding’."
}