precedent; past example
A formal, literary term for a past event or action that serves as a model or reference for later cases. Rare in everyday speech; more common synonyms include 先例 or 前例.
This ruling will likely become an important precedent.
We examined historical precedents and considered an appropriate response.
Composed of 前 (before, previous) and 蹤 (footprint, trace). The character 蹤 is a variant of 踪, and the compound literally means 'previous traces', extended to mean 'precedent'. The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but the word is a Sino-Japanese coinage used in classical and formal writing.