Adjacent Words

Precept definitions

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Webster's 1828 Dictionary

PRE'CEPT, n. [L. proeceptum, from proecipio, to command; proe, before, and capio, to take.]
1. In a general sense, any commandment or order intended as an authoritative rule of action; but applied particularly to commands respecting moral conduct. The ten commandments are so many precepts for the regulation of our moral conduct.
No arts are without their precepts.
2. In law, a command or mandate in writing.

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

n
1: rule of personal conduct [syn: principle, precept]
2: a doctrine that is taught; "the teachings of religion"; "he believed all the Christian precepts" [syn: teaching, precept, commandment]

Merriam Webster's

noun Etymology: Middle English, from Anglo-French, from Latin praeceptum, from neuter of praeceptus, past participle of praecipere to take beforehand, instruct, from prae- + capere to take — more at heave Date: 14th century 1. a command or principle intended especially as a general rule of action 2. an order issued by legally constituted authority to a subordinate official Synonyms: see law

Oxford Reference Dictionary

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

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Precept Pre"cept, v. t. To teach by precepts. [Obs.] --Bacon.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

(precepts) A precept is a general rule that helps you to decide how you should behave in particular circumstances. (FORMAL) ...an electoral process based on the precept that all men are born equal. = principle N-COUNT

International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

pre'-sept: A commandment, an authoritative rule for action; in the Scriptures generally a divine injunction in which man's obligation is set forth (Latin praeceptum, from praecipere, "to instruct").

Four words are so rendered in the King James Version:

(1) mitswah, very frequently (168 times) translated "commandment," but 4 times "precept" (in the Revised Version (British and American) only Jer 35:18; Da 9:5);

(2) from the same root is tsaw, or tsaw (Isa 28:10,13);

(3) piqqudhim, only in the Psalms (21 times in Ps 119, e.g. verses 4,15,27; also the Revised Version (British and American) Ps 19:8; 103:18; 111:7);

(4) in the New Testament, entole, generally in the King James Version translated "commandment" (68 times), but twice "precept" (Mr 10:5; Heb 9:19; in both cases the Revised Version (British and American) substitutes "commandment").

See COMMANDMENT.

D. Miall Edwards

Soule's Dictionary of English Synonyms

n. 1. Command, injunction, instruction, order, mandate, commandment, behest, dictate, decree, edict, law, ordinance, ordination, regulation, canon. 2. Doctrine, principle, maxim, rule, direction.

Moby Thesaurus

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