Chinese symbol for “precedent”
先例
xiān lì
precedent
The closest CC-CEDICT match for precedent is 先例 (xiān lì), defined as: precedent.
Before using these characters for a tattoo, check them with a native speaker. Dictionary words often have several meanings, and the right choice depends on context.
Characters and stroke order
Other Chinese words for “precedent”
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 前例 | qián lì | precedent |
| 例 | lì | example; precedent |
| 稿子 | gǎo zi | draft of a document; script |
| 口子 | kǒu zi | hole; opening |
| 往例 | wǎng lì | (usual) practice of the past; precedent |
Related words
Other words that share a character with 先例.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 先生 | xiān sheng | teacher; gentleman; sir; mister (Mr.) |
| 首先 | shǒu xiān | first of all; in the first place |
| 先进 (先進) | xiān jìn | sophisticated; advanced (technology etc); meritorious; exemplary (deeds etc) |
| 先后 (先後) | xiān hòu | early or late; first and last; priority; in succession; one after another |
| 优先 (優先) | yōu xiān | to have priority; to take precedence |
| 领先 (領先) | lǐng xiān | to lead; to be in front |
| 例如 | lì rú | for example; for instance; such as |
| 比例 | bǐ lì | proportion; scale |
See also: Japanese symbol for “precedent”.
Data: CC-CEDICT (CC BY-SA 4.0); Unihan Database (Unicode License v3); Make Me a Hanzi (Arphic Public License (graphics.txt); LGPL-3.0-or-later (dictionary.txt)); wordfreq (CC BY-SA 4.0 (data)). Retrieved 2026-10-22.