prima facie

[prahy-muh fey-shee-ee, fey-shee, fey-shuh, pree-]

adverb

1. at first appearance; at first view, before investigation; self-evident; obvious.

adjective

1. plain or clear on initial investigation or at first view; self-evident; obvious.

   A rise in productivity correlates with rising employee well-being, making a prima facie case for improving workplace conditions.

prima facie

/ ˈpraɪmə ˈfeɪʃɪ /

1. at first sight; as it seems at first

Word History and Origins

Origin of prima facie¹

First recorded in 1425–75; late Middle English, from Latin prīmā faciē (ablative singular of prīma faciēs); prime ( def. ), facies ( def. )

Word History and Origins

Origin of prima facie¹

C15: from Latin, from prīmus first + faciēs _face

Related Words

• self-evident