A precedent is an earlier case or decision used as a guide for later ones. A president is the head of a state or an organisation. They differ by one letter and are wholly unrelated — "setting a president" is the memorable error.
The core difference
An earlier example and a person in charge.
- precedent — an earlier case that guides later ones: set a precedent, legal precedent.
- president — a head of state or organisation.
The legal weight
In common-law systems precedent is not merely an example — earlier decisions bind later courts, under the principle of stare decisis. So "without precedent" in legal writing means genuinely unprecedented, not simply unusual.
The roots
Precedent is from Latin praecedere, to go before — the same root as precede. President is from praesidere, to sit before, in the sense of presiding over. Different verbs, similar prefixes.
Frequently asked questions
Is it "set a precedent" or "set a president"?
Set a precedent — an earlier case that guides later ones.
What does legal precedent mean?
An earlier decision that binds or guides later courts, under the principle of stare decisis.
Are the words related?
No. Precedent is from praecedere, to go before; president is from praesidere, to preside.