stare decisis

noun

sta·​re de·​ci·​sis ˌster-ē-di-ˈsī-səs How to pronounce stare decisis (audio)
ˌstär-
: a doctrine or policy of following rules or principles laid down in previous judicial decisions unless they contravene the ordinary principles of justice compare precedent

Examples of stare decisis in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
And Kennedy stressed his belief in a core judicial principle of adherence to precedent, known by the Latin phrase stare decisis. — Cnn.com Wire Service, Mercury News, 9 Oct. 2025 Thomas cited the Brown decision as an example in which the high court correctly declined to defer to stare decisis, or the legal principle of following a court’s precedent to guide a ruling. — Jack Birle, The Washington Examiner, 26 Sep. 2025 In contrast, a decision by a judge is governed by stare decisis, the legal principle that courts must adhere to interpretations of law set by past decisions and that lower courts must follow higher courts when in the same jurisdiction. — Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 12 May 2026 In the majority opinion, Chief Justice Roberts suggested that there was a form of stare decisis for rules that already had been upheld under the Chevron doctrine not to be relitigated. — Tax Notes Staff, Forbes, 10 Sep. 2024 See All Example Sentences for stare decisis

Word History

Etymology

Latin, to stand by decided matters

First Known Use

1754, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of stare decisis was in 1754

Rhymes for stare decisis

See All Rhymes for stare decisis

Browse Nearby Words

stare at (someone)
stare decisis
stare down
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Stare decisis.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/stare%20decisis. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

Legal Definition

stare decisis

noun
sta·​re de·​ci·​sis ˈster-ē-di-ˈsī-sis, ˈstär-ē-; ˈstä-rā-dā-ˈkē-sēs How to pronounce stare decisis (audio)
: the doctrine under which courts adhere to precedent on questions of law in order to insure certainty, consistency, and stability in the administration of justice with departure from precedent permitted for compelling reasons (as to prevent the perpetuation of injustice)
Etymology

New Latin, to stand by things that have been settled

More from Merriam-Webster on stare decisis

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about stare decisis

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Commonly Misspelled Words

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

One-Word Oxymorons: Bittersweet, Spendthrift, and More

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
hangman letters and game
Hangman Lightning Round Figure out which word fits in the blanks.
See All