A precept (from the Latin: præcipere, to teach) is a commandment, instruction, or order intended as an authoritative rule of action.
The term is encountered frequently in the Jewish and Christian Scriptures: Thou hast commanded thy precepts to be kept diligently.
In Buddhism, the fundamental code of ethics is known as the Five Precepts (Pañcaśīla in Sanskrit, or Pañcasīla in Pāli), practiced by laypeople, either for a given period of time or for a lifetime.
The precepts also relate to right speech, action and livelihood aspects of the Noble Eightfold Path, which is essential in Buddhist practices.
It is now chiefly used of an order demanding payment (in the UK, for example, the term is applied by local precepting authorities as part of the Council Tax system).