prima facie
Preserved but no longer current.
Meaning · English
At first sight. A prima \ facie case is a case or statement which, without minute examination into its merits, seems plausible and correct.
Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “prima facie” mean?
At first sight. A prima \ facie case is a case or statement which, without minute examination into its merits, seems plausible and correct.
Is “prima facie” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.