An example that is used to justify similar occurrences at a later time.

synonym: precedent.

Roget 82: conformity, conformance; observance; habituation.    naturalization; conventionality etc. (custom) 613; agreement etc. 23.    example, instance, specimen, sample, quotation; exemplification, illustration, case in point; object lesson; elucidation.    standard, model, pattern etc. (prototype) 22.    rule, nature, principle; law; order of things; normal state, natural state, ordinary state, model state, normal condition, natural condition, ordinary condition, model condition; standing dish, standing order; Procrustean law; law of the Medes and Persians; hard and fast rule.    ... show more

Roget 23: agreement; accord, accordance; unison, harmony; concord etc. 714; concordance, concert; understanding, mutual understanding.    conformity etc. 82; conformance; uniformity etc. 16; consonance, consentaneousness^†, consistency; congruity, congruence; keeping; congeniality; correspondence, parallelism, apposition, union.    fitness, aptness etc. adj.; relevancy; pertinence, pertinencey^†; sortance^†; case in point; aptitude, coaptation^†, propriety, applicability, admissibility, commensurability, compatibility; cognation etc. (relation) 9.    adaption^†, adjustment, graduation, accommodation; reconciliation, reconcilement; assimilation.    consent etc. (assent) 488; concurrence etc. 178; cooperation etc. 709.    right man in the right place, very thing; quite the thing, just the thing.    ... show more

Dutch: jurisprudentie, precedent, antecedent, antecedenten
Polish: precedens