precept

• POS: Noun
• HYPHEN: pre=cept

CIDE DICTIONARY

precept, n. [L. praeceptum, from praecipere to take beforehand, to instruct, teach; prae before + capere to take: cf. F. précepte. See Pre-, and Capacious.].

•  Any commandment, instruction, or order intended as an authoritative rule of action; esp., a command respecting moral conduct; an injunction; a rule.  [1913 Webster]

  "For precept must be upon precept."  [1913 Webster]

  "No arts are without their precepts."  [1913 Webster]
•  A command in writing; a species of writ or process.  Burrill.  [1913 Webster]

Syn. -- Commandment; injunction; mandate; law; rule; direction; principle; maxim. See Doctrine.

precept, v. t. 

 To teach by precepts.  Bacon.  [1913 Webster]

OXFORD DICTIONARY

precept, n.
1 a command; a rule of conduct.
2 moral instruction (example is better than precept).
3 a a writ or warrant. b Brit. an order for collection or payment of money under a local rate.

Derivative

preceptive adj.

Etymology

ME f. L praeceptum neut. past part. of praecipere praecept- warn, instruct (as PRAE-, capere take)

THESAURUS

precept

a belief, adage, ana, analects, aphorism, apophthegm, apothegm, article of faith, axiom, behest, bench warrant, bidding, byword, canon, capias, catchword, caveat, charge, code, collected sayings, commandment, current saying, death warrant, decree, decretum, dictate, dictum, direction, directive, distich, doctrine, dogma, edict, epigram, expression, fiat, fieri facias, fundamental, general orders, gnome, golden saying, guide, guideline, habere facias possessionem, injunction, instruction, interdict, law, mandamus, mandate, mandatory injunction, maxim, mittimus, moral, mot, motto, nisi prius, notice, notification, oracle, order, ordinance, phrase, pithy saying, prescript, prescription, principle, process, prohibitory injunction, proverb, proverbial saying, proverbs, regulation, rule, saw, saying, search warrant, sentence, sententious expression, slogan, sloka, statute, stock saying, sutra, teaching, tenet, text, ukase, unwritten law, verse, warrant, warrant of arrest, warrant of attorney, wisdom, wisdom literature, wise saying, witticism, word, words of wisdom, writ

ROGET THESAURUS

precept

Requirement

N requirement, need, wants, necessities, necessaries, necessaries of life, stress, exigency, pinch, sine qua non, matter of necessity, case of need, case of life or death, needfulness, essentiality, necessity, indispensability, urgency, requisition, run upon, demand, call for, charge, claim, command, injunction, mandate, order, precept, desideratum, want, Adj, required, requisite, needful, necessary, imperative, essential, indispensable, prerequisite, called for, in demand, in request, urgent, exigent, pressing, instant, crying, absorbing, in want of, destitute of, ex necessitate rei, of necessity, there is no time to lose, it cannot be spared, it cannot be dispensed with, mendacem memorem esse oportet, necessitas non habet legem, nec tecum possum trivere nec sine te.

Precept

N precept, direction, instruction, charge, prescript, prescription, recipe, receipt, golden rule, maxim, rule, canon, law, code, corpus juris, lex scripta, act, statute, rubric, stage direction, regulation, form, formula, formulary, technicality, canon law, norm, order.

Command

N command, order, ordinance, act, fiat, hukm, bidding, dictum, hest, behest, call, beck, nod, despatch, dispatch, message, direction, injunction, charge, instructions, appointment, fixture, demand, exaction, imposition, requisition, claim, reclamation, revendication, ultimatum, request, requirement, dictation, dictate, mandate, caveat, decree, senatus consultum, precept, prescript, rescript, writ, ordination, bull, ex cathedra pronouncement, edict, decretal, dispensation, prescription, brevet, placit, ukase, ukaz, firman, hatti- sherif, warrant, passport, mittimus, mandamus, summons, subpoena, nisi prius, interpellation, citation, word, word of command, mot d'ordre, bugle call, trumpet call, beat of drum, tattoo, order of the day, enactment, plebiscite, commanding, authoritative, decretory, decretive, decretal, callable, jussive, in a commanding tone, by a stroke of the pen, by a dash of the pen, by order, at beat of drum, on the first summons, the decree is gone forth, sic volo sic jubeo, le Roi le veut, boutez en avant.

Permission

N permission, leave, allowance, sufferance, tolerance, toleration, liberty, law, license, concession, grace, indulgence, favor, dispensation, exemption, release, connivance, vouchsafement, authorization, warranty, accordance, admission, permit, warrant, brevet, precept, sanction, authority, firman, hukm, pass, passport, furlough, license, carte blanche, ticket of leave, grant, charter, patent, letters patent, permitting, permissive, indulgent, permitted, patent, chartered, permissible, allowable, lawful, legitimate, legal, legalized, licit, unforbid, unforbidden, unconditional, by leave, with leave, on leave, speciali gratia, under favor of, pace, ad libitum, by all means, yes, avec permissin, brevet d'invention.