precedented

1 of 2

adjective

prec·​e·​dent·​ed ˈpre-sə-ˌden-təd 

-dən-təd

: having an earlier occurrence or example : having precedent

But given the speculative nature and weak fundamentals, a return to sub-$2 levels isn't just possible; it's historically precedented.

—Trefis

Isn't that what we keep saying—unseasonably warm? I think this is the norm now, as unprecedented is now precedented, but maybe we still imagine (hope) we will have something like a "normal" winter in the not-too-distant future.

—Stacy Murison

precedented

2 of 2

past tense and past participle of precedent entry 3

Examples of precedented in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

That central bank drama is piling even more attention Friday’s speech by Fed Chair Jay Powell, who even in precedented times can move markets with a single furrow of his brow. —Allison Morrow, CNN Money, 22 Aug. 2025

Unlike the precedented use of the IEEPA, presidents have been given a wide degree of latitude to legally justify sector-specific or nation-specific embargoes and regulations under Section 232, even if the logic behind such national security complaints remains wanting. —Tiana Lowe Doescher, The Washington Examiner, 6 June 2025

If a human bureaucrat violates your rights, there is a precedented legal path for recourse. —Paul Du Quenoy, MSNBC Newsweek, 26 Mar. 2025

Widen the aperture a bit, and this starts to look more, well, precedented—the latest spin of the series of revolving doors that link the realms of political officialdom and TV news. —Jon Allsop, The New Yorker, 23 Feb. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

precedent entry 2 + -ed entry 1

First Known Use

Adjective

1649, in the meaning defined above