Dictionary.com
Thesaurus.com

facile princeps

American  
[fah-ki-le pring-keps, fas-uh-lee prin-seps] / ˈfɑ kɪˌlɛ ˈprɪŋ kɛps, ˈfæs ə li ˈprɪn sɛps /
Latin.
  1. easily the first or best.


facile princeps British  
/ ˈfæsɪlɪ ˈprɪnsɛps /

noun

  1. an obvious leader

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of facile princeps

literally: easily first

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Among the media of our day, Home is naturally facile princeps.

From Modern Magic by Vere, Maximilian Schele de

This much-abused world of ours, railed at by divines, sneered down by cynics, slighted by philosophers, has still some marvellously pleasant things about it, amongst which, first and foremost, facile princeps, is Paris!

From The Martins Of Cro' Martin, Vol. II (of II) by Lever, Charles James

"Give him a clear field, such as the statesmen and financiers of Europe have, where there are no wrongheaded and befooled constituencies to be reckoned with, and he would be facile princeps among them."

From Recollections of Forty Years in the House, Senate and Cabinet An Autobiography. by Sherman, John

He has not become, as Augustus did, "facile princeps."

From The Life of Cicero Volume II. by Trollope, Anthony

Amongst the statesmen of his times, he was facile princeps and he enjoys the unique distinction of being the only prime-minister in history who was regarded as a saint by his own contemporaries.

From Bartholomew de Las Casas; his life, apostolate, and writings by MacNutt, Francis Augustus