prima facie

P

prima facie (adjective phrase; sometimes adverbial)
/ˌpriː.mə ˈfeɪ.ʃiː/

Meanings

• Based on the first impression or initial evidence, before deeper investigation.
• Legally sufficient to establish a fact or case unless disproved.
• Obvious or apparent on the face of it.
• At first sight.

Synonyms: apparent; seemingly; on the surface; at first glance; ostensible.

Example Sentences

1. The defendant’s alibi provided prima facie grounds for dismissal, pending further review.
2. The prosecution presented prima facie evidence to justify a trial.
3. Her qualifications made a prima facie case for her promotion.
4. The doctor has a prima facie duty to save a patient’s life.
5. Prima facie evidence suggested that the company was at fault.
6. It looked prima facie that the document was authentic.

Origin and History

The phrase prima facie is classical Latin in form, from prīmā (“first”, feminine ablative of prīmus) + faciē (ablative of faciēs, “appearance, face”), literally “at first appearance” or “at first sight.” This derivation explains the phrase’s literal meaning and its transfer into later scholarly and legal Latin.

How the Phrase Entered English (Two Complementary Theories)

1. Direct transfer from medieval/late Latin into Middle English: many Latin legal and scholastic phrases entered English during the late Middle Ages and the early modern period via church, university, and legal usage. Under this account prima facie passed from Latin technical usage (in ecclesiastical and academic writing) directly into English texts and law reports.
2. Scholastic and legal adoption then popularization: another emphasis in scholarship is that prima facie was used in scholastic commentaries and continental legal texts before becoming common in English legal practice; English lawyers and commentators then cemented it in courtroom and statutory usage, after which it broadened into general English. This explains why the phrase appears both in learned Latin contexts and later as a legal-technical term in English.

Earliest Printed Records (English-Language Evidence)

Published authorities differ slightly on the very earliest English attestations: some date the English usage to the later 15th–early 16th century (circa 1500), treating prima facie as an early Middle/early modern English borrowing from Latin. Others report a first-recorded range of 1425–75 for prima facie (i.e., a mid-15th-century appearance in English sources). In legal-phrase form, the compound “prima facie case” is traceable in major legal reporting to the late 19th century.

Country (and Cultural) Origin — How to Frame it Precisely

• Language origin: Latin (the Roman/medieval scholarly linguistic tradition). The words themselves are Latin morphemes and the phrase’s conceptual roots lie in Latin usage.
• Country of earliest English attestation: evidence points to England (Middle/early-modern English texts and later English legal usage) as the place where prima facie first appears in English print and legal reports. Thus, while the phrase is Latin in origin, its life as an English legal-technical term begins in England.

How the Phrase Evolved into a Legal Technicality

Lexical and legal histories show a shift from literal “at first sight” uses (general description) to a specialized evidentiary meaning — i.e., a showing that, unless rebutted, would be sufficient to support a fact or claim. That technical legal sense became canonical in common-law jurisdictions and appears repeatedly in jurisprudence and legal textbooks. Scholars also note the phrase’s uptake in ethical theory (e.g., W. D. Ross’s discussion of prima facie duties) and in epistemology, which expanded its use beyond law.

Earliest Printed-Record Summary (Concise)

• Latin origin (classical/medieval Latin): attested in Latin as prīmā faciēs / prīmā faciē (literal source).
• English attestation: mid-to-late 15th century → early 16th century (evidence varies: some give 1425–75; others cite circa 1500).
• Legal collocation “prima facie case”: attested in English legal reports by the 1890s.

Origin Concluding Assessment

Prima facie is a Latin phrase adopted into English in the late medieval or early modern period. The strongest consensus places its lexical origin in Latin and its earliest English printed appearances in England between the 15th and 16th centuries. Its crystallization as a routine legal term (and later as a philosophical technical term) occurred over several centuries, with a clear legal codification in English reporting by the late 19th century.

Variants

1. prima facie case
2. prima facie evidence
3. prima facie duty

Education, Law

Last update: August 23, 2025 4:56 AM