set a precedent

Idioms

Establish a usage, tradition, or standard to be followed in the future. For example, He set a precedent by having the chaplain lead the academic procession. The word precedent here signifies a previous instance or legal decision upon which future instances are based, a usage dating from the early 1400s. In British and American law it more specifically refers to a legal decision that may be used as a standard in subsequent cases.

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Mizuho analyst Dan Dolev also wondered whether the move would set a precedent for other technology companies.

From MarketWatch

His work set a precedent for autonomy and creative control as hip-hop became a commercial juggernaut in the ’90s.

From Los Angeles Times

And in demonstrating that “internment on a massive scale was now not only imaginable but also feasible,” Mr. Brundage writes, America set a precedent that would be followed in every major war to come.

From The Wall Street Journal

If the Supreme Court’s decision reinforces state autonomy, a win in Washington could set a precedent for other jurisdictions, accelerating a cultural shift toward policies that treat women and families with respect.

From The Wall Street Journal

"It was not feasible to make changes so close to the tournament and that altering the schedule under the circumstances, in the absence of any credible security threat, could set a precedent that would jeopardise the sanctity of future ICC events," governing body the ICC said in a statement on Wednesday.

From BBC

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023