先例

• Pinyin: xiān lì
• Hanzi breakdown: 先 = 丿+ 土 + 儿 (footprint + earth + legs — one who goes ahead); 例 = 人 + 列 (person + row — a listed reference case)

Meaning

Precedent; prior example. A previous case or decision that serves as a reference or guide for subsequent similar situations, especially in law, policy, or institutional practice.

Most commonly used in legal, administrative, and academic contexts. Setting a 先例 (开创先例) can be presented as either positive — establishing a valuable benchmark — or negative — opening the door to future abuse. The concept of precedent is central to case law systems and also widely invoked in diplomatic and organisational decision-making.

Examples

1. 法院在审理这起涉及人工智能著作权归属的案件时格外谨慎，因为判决结果将可能为同类案件设立重要先例。 The court was especially cautious in hearing this case about AI copyright ownership, because the ruling could set an important precedent for similar cases.
2. 历史上从未有过这样的先例，因此委员会对是否批准该申请陷入了长时间的讨论和争议。 There has never been a precedent like this in history, so the committee fell into a long period of discussion and debate over whether to approve the application.
3. 企业率先公开供应链全程碳排放数据的做法，为同行业其他公司树立了一个值得借鉴的先例。 By taking the lead in publicly disclosing end-to-end supply-chain carbon emissions data, the company set a precedent that others in the industry can learn from.

Usage Guide

Context: law, policy, academia, diplomacy

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 国际仲裁庭援引多项条约条款和权威确认的先例作出最终裁定，说明该裁定建立在稳固的国际法律实践之上。(The international arbitration tribunal cited several treaty provisions and authoritative precedents in its final ruling, showing that the ruling is built on a solid foundation of international legal practice.)
• 对互联网平台反竞争行为的处罚创下国内纪录，不仅释放出强烈的合规信号，也为日后处理类似案件提供了先例。(The penalty for the internet platform's anticompetitive conduct set a domestic record, sending a strong compliance signal and providing a precedent for future similar cases.)

Don't Say

• 先例 loosely in everyday conversation to mean 'example' in a general sense — use 例子 or 案例 for non-precedent examples; 先例 carries a specific implication of a guiding or binding reference for future decisions

Origin & History

先 (before, prior) + 例 (example, case — 人 + 列, a person listed as a reference)

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal