primus inter pares
Preserved but no longer current.
The first among equals. Prince (Lat. princeps, chief, leader). A royal title which, in England, is now limited to the sons of the sovereign and their sons. Princess is similarly limited to the sovereign's daughters and his sons' (but not daughters') daughters.
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 “primus inter pares” mean?
The first among equals. Prince (Lat. princeps, chief, leader). A royal title which, in England, is now limited to the sons of the sovereign and their sons. Princess is similarly limited to the sovereign's daughters and his sons' (but not daughters') daughters.
Is “primus inter pares” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.