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primus inter pares

American  
[pree-moos in-ter pah-res, prahy-muhs in-ter pair-eez, pree-] / ˈpri mʊs ˈɪn tɛr ˈpɑ rɛs, ˈpraɪ məs ˈɪn tər ˈpɛər iz, ˈpri- /

noun

Latin.
  • primi inter pares
    plural
  1. (of males) first among equals.


primus inter pares British  
/ ˈpraɪməs ɪntə ˈpɑːrɪz /
  1. first among equals

"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

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Noun Inflected Forms


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.

See Examples For:

When the prime minister addresses the cabinet, not far away in 10 Downing Street, he is primus inter pares, first among equals, sitting among his or her ministers.

From BBC ● Jul. 8, 2025

The Nationalist military chieftains who elevated Francisco Franco to supreme power may initially have thought of their leader as a sort of primus inter pares, but this notion did not accord with Franco’s ideas.

From Slate ● Feb. 9, 2017

The invitation looks like a mistaken act of over-compensation, an effort to make sure the UK, an early backmarker, reverted to its traditional position of primus inter pares, the Special One.

From The Guardian ● Jan. 31, 2017

He was acknowledged to be the primus inter pares of the Italian composers of the day.

From The Guardian ● Sep. 17, 2010

The Old Dominion was accustomed to thinking of itself as primus inter pares in any confederation of states.

From "Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation" by Joseph J. Ellis

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