Definition
先例 (xiān lì) is a noun meaning 'precedent' — a past event or decision used as a model for similar situations. Unlike 前辈 (qián bèi, 'senior person') or 先前 (xiān qián, 'previously'), 先例 refers to an action or case, not a person or time.
noun
precedent
Examples
- 先例。Zhè jiàn shì méiyǒu xiān lì.There is no precedent for this matter.
- 先例。Tā kāichuàng le yí gè xiān lì.He set a precedent.
- 先例。Wǒmen yīnggāi ànzhào xiān lì lái zuò.We should follow the precedent.
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