先例
解説 Definition
precedents は precedent「先例、前例」の複数形で、後の似た状況での判断や行動の参考になる過去の事例を指します。特に法律や制度の文脈でよく使われます。
Precedents are earlier cases, decisions, or actions that provide examples or authoritative guidance for dealing with later, similar situations. The term is especially common for previous court decisions used in legal reasoning.
使い方 Usage
- legal precedents は「法律上の先例」。precedents for ... は「…に関する先例」を表します。 Legal precedents means earlier legal cases or decisions. Use precedents for ... to identify the situation to which the examples relate.
- set precedents は、後の判断や行動の参考になる「先例を作る」という表現です。 Set precedents means to establish examples that guide later decisions or actions.
使い分け Common distinctions
- 綴りが似た presidents は「大統領・会長」などを指す複数形で、precedents「先例」と区別します。 Distinguish precedents, earlier examples or decisions, from presidents, the plural word for leaders such as heads of state or organizations.
覚え方のコツ Memory Tip
pre-「前」と precede「先に来る」を、今の判断より前にあった事例に結び付けましょう。precedent に複数形の -s を付けた形で、末尾の -s は /s/ と発音します。
Connect pre-, meaning before, and precede, meaning to come before, with examples that existed before the present decision. Precedents is precedent plus plural -s, pronounced /s/ after the final /t/.
例文
The judge considered several precedents before making a decision.
裁判官は判断を下す前にいくつかの先例を検討しました。
There are few precedents for a case like this.
このような事例には先例がほとんどありません。
precedents の類義語・関連語
precedents の語源・成り立ち Etymology
ラテン語のpraecedere（前に行く）に由来し、古フランス語を経て英語に入りました。接頭辞pre-（前に）と語根ced（行く）が合わさり、「前に進むもの」が語源です。過去の事例が後の判断基準となることから「先例」と定着し、同語根にprecede（先んじる）があります。
Precedent entered English through Old French and ultimately comes from Latin praecedere, “to go before,” formed from prae, “before,” and cedere, “to go.” Something precedent therefore came earlier and could serve as a guide for what followed. The noun developed its strong legal sense for an earlier decision used when judging a comparable case. Precedents is the regular plural, formed by adding -s to precedent.
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