prima facie

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

• IPA^(key): /ˈpɹaɪmə ˈfeɪsiː/, /-ʃiː/, /-ʃə/

prima facie (comparative more prima facie, superlative most prima facie)

1. (law) At first sight; on the face of it.
   • 1871, Hamilton, Gail, Gala-days, page 191:

     […] the nicest young man that ever was, — daintily gloved, patently booted, oilily curled, snowily wristbanded, with a lovely cambric (prima facie) handkerchief bound about his hyacinthine locks and polished hat.

• apparently, seemingly, ostensibly; see also Thesaurus:ostensibly

• prima faciality

• ex facie

prima facie (not comparable)

1. (law) Apparently correct; not needing proof unless evidence to the contrary is shown.

In common usage, often used to mean that the conclusion is obvious. In more narrow legal usage, it means rather that there is a case to answer – that the question is clear, but the conclusion is not necessarily obvious. See also Wikipedia at Prima facie: res ipsa loquitur and Res ipsa loquitur: contrast to prima facie.

• immediate, indubitable, self-evident; see also Thesaurus:obvious

prima facie

1. (law) prima facie

• “prima facie”, in Diccionario de la lengua española, Vigésima tercera edición, Real Academia Española, 2014