prima facie

Where does the word "prima facie" come from? It comes from Latin prima facie, and was adopted directly into English (1600s).

Prima facie’s story begins in Latin: prima facie meant “at first sight.” Literally at first face, at first appearance. It reached English by 1600s as prima facie. Latin 'at first sight', used in law for evidence that stands until rebutted. Today, prima facie means accepted as true or correct until proven otherwise, based on initial evidence.

1. Stage 1 · Latin · ancient prima facie "at first sight", literally at first face, at first appearance.
2. Stage 2 · English · 1600s prima facie "based on first impression, accepted until proven otherwise", Latin 'at first sight', used in law for evidence that stands until rebutted.