\Pre*ced"ent\, a. [L. praecedens, -entis, p. pr. of
praecedere: cf. F. pr['e]c['e]dent. See {Precede}.]
Going before; anterior; preceding; antecedent; as, precedent
services. --Shak. ``A precedent injury.'' --Bacon.
{Condition precedent} (Law), a condition which precede the
   vesting of an estate, or the accruing of a right.

\Prec"e*dent\, n.
1. Something done or said that may serve as an example to
   authorize a subsequent act of the same kind; an
   authoritative example.
         Examples for cases can but direct as precedents
         only.                                 --Hooker.
2. A preceding circumstance or condition; an antecedent;
   hence, a prognostic; a token; a sign. [Obs.]
3. A rough draught of a writing which precedes a finished
   copy. [Obs.] --Shak.
4. (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. --Wharton.
Syn: Example; antecedent.
Usage: {Precedent}, {Example}. An example in a similar case
       which may serve as a rule or guide, but has no
       authority out of itself. A precedent is something
       which comes down to us from the past with the sanction
       of usage and of common consent. We quote examples in
       literature, and precedents in law.