Phrase guide

prima facie

adj · adv · 4 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • General-American, Received-Pronunciation: /ˈpɹiː.mə ˈfeɪ.siː/
  • General-American, Received-Pronunciation: /ˈpɹaɪ-/
  • General-American, Received-Pronunciation: /-ʃiː/
  • General-American, Received-Pronunciation: /-ʃə/
  • Australian: /ˈpɹiː.mə ˈfæɪ.siː/
  • Australian: /ˈpɹɑɪ-/
  • Australian: /-ʃiː/
  • Australian: /-ʃə/

1

adj

Meaning 1

Apparently correct; not needing proof unless evidence to the contrary is shown.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: not-comparable

Topics: law

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: immediate, indubitable, self-evident, apparent, arrant, undoubted, glaring, bait, blatant, clear, clear as a bell, clear as day, clear cut, conspicuous, crystal clear, cut and dried, decided, elucidate, evident, eyely, intuitive, manifest, notable, noticeable, obvious, open-and-shut, ostensible, palpable, patent, plain, plain as a haystack, plain as a pikestaff, plain as day, plain as Dunstable highway, plain as porridge, plain as print, plain as Salisbury, plain as the nose on one's face, prima facie, res ipsa loquitur, splendent, straightforward, undissembled

Antonyms: none provided

2

adv

Meaning 2

At first sight; on the face of it.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: law

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: apparently, seemingly, at first blush, at first glance, at first sight, on the face of it, on the surface, ostensibly, outwardly, prima facie, superficially, surfacely, to all appearances

Antonyms: none provided

3

adjective satellite

Meaning 3

as it seems at first sight

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • a prima facie case of murder

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

adverb

Meaning 4

at first sight

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

From Latin prīmā (“first”) + faciē (“shape, figure”), literally “at the first appearance.”

Across languages

Translations

11 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Chinese Mandarin: 初步的 (chūbù de) — apparently correct
  • Chinese Mandarin: 初步證明的 /初步证明的 (chūbù zhèngmíng de) — apparently correct
  • Chinese Mandarin: 表面的 (biǎomiàn de) — apparently correct
  • Finnish: alustavasti oikea — apparently correct
  • Finnish: lähtökohtaisesti oikea — apparently correct
  • French: prima facie — apparently correct
  • Chinese Mandarin: 從表面上看 /从表面上看 (cóng biǎomiàn shàng kàn) — at first sight
  • Finnish: ensinäkemältä — at first sight
  • Finnish: ensisilmäyksellä — at first sight
  • French: prima facie — at first sight
  • Hindi: प्रथम दृष्ट्या (pratham dŕṣṭyā) — at first sight