prima facie
Americanadverb
adjective
Etymology
Origin of prima facie
First recorded in 1425–75; late Middle English, from Latin prīmā faciē (ablative singular of prīma faciēs); see origin at prime ( def. ), facies ( def. )
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.
Under Batson, the first step asks whether the defendant has made a prima facie showing of discrimination.
From Slate ● Apr. 10, 2026
“Every person born in the country,” wrote Bates in late November 1862, “is, at the moment of birth, prima facie a citizen…without any reference to race or color, or any other accidental circumstance.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 4, 2025
"We worked together to make sure we had a watertight prima facie case in order to lawfully arrest Aimee Betro in a foreign country without her becoming aware and potentially fleeing again," he explained.
From BBC ● Aug. 15, 2025
“Secrecy and exclusivity are prima facie evidence of gang activity in the tattooed groups,” said Inspector General Max Huntsman.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 18, 2025
Page 8: impossibility of alternatives which seemed prima facie impossibility of alternatives which seemed primâ facie Page 119: with it.
From Our Knowledge of the External World as a Field for Scientific Method in Philosophy by Bertrand Russell
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
