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• prima facie evidence
  prima facie evidence

  noun

  evidence sufficient to establish a fact or to raise a presumption of fact unless rebutted.
• prima-facie evidence
  prima-facie evidence

  noun

  law evidence that is sufficient to establish a fact or to raise a presumption of the truth of a fact unless controverted

prima facie evidence

American  

noun

Law.

1. evidence sufficient to establish a fact or to raise a presumption of fact unless rebutted.

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prima-facie evidence British  

noun

1. law evidence that is sufficient to establish a fact or to raise a presumption of the truth of a fact unless controverted

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Etymology

Origin of prima facie evidence

First recorded in 1790–1800

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

prima facie evidence prima-facie evidence

Sherborne said this was "prima facie" evidence of phone hacking, to which Dacre responded by saying it was only "evidence" Miskiw was "desperately trying to get work out" of the paper.

From BBC ● Feb. 11, 2026

“The ignition of the Saddleridge Fire by SCE’s power and transmission lines and equipment is prima facie evidence of SCE’s negligence,” states the complaint, which was filed by acting U.S.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 10, 2025

Violation of this rule is considered prima facie evidence of reckless driving.

From Seattle Times ● Sep. 21, 2023

"We had to find a very large body of prima facie evidence to justify doing the investigation at all."

From Salon ● Jul. 8, 2021

That traffic can be sent by these roundabout routes at the same or less rates than is charged by the shorter ones is prima facie evidence that rates are too high.

From The Railroad Question A historical and practical treatise on railroads, and remedies for their abuses by William Larrabee

Insurance is heavy, since to many companies the fact of owning a bike is prima-facie evidence of irresponsibility.

From Time Magazine Archive

This, he said, was prima-facie evidence that the cards are stacked against the buyer and that rates are too high.

From Time Magazine Archive

Wall Street took this as prima-facie evidence that George Whitney knew nothing of the pending debacle.

From Time Magazine Archive

To restore electronic enforcement, Faircloth urged the state legislature to legalize such information by classifying it as prima-facie evidence.

From Time Magazine Archive

But as his preference more than half the time went by the rule of contraries, that would be prima-facie evidence that he was born on the earlier date.

From Eugene Field, a Study in Heredity and Contradictions — Volume 1 by Slason Thompson