先例

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

含义

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.

例句

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。
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。
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。

用法指南

语境: law, policy, academia, diplomacy

语气: neutral

正确说法

• 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.)

错误说法

• 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

起源与历史

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

文化背景

世代: All ages

社会背景: Universal