1
as in presumed
appearing to be true on the basis of evidence that may or may not be confirmed
a prima facie case of tax fraud
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in evident
not needing proof in order to be accepted
actions that established a prima facie case of discrimination
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of prima facie
While most states follow absolute speeding limits, some have presumed or prima facie speeding limits, according to a database created by Massachusetts Institute of Technology software engineer John Carr.
—
Ana Faguy, USA TODAY, 14 Apr. 2022
Many unsuccessful Black head coach candidates will probably meet this initial (prima facie) case of discrimination.
—Eric Bachman, Forbes, 26 Jan. 2022
Yelp argued that it ought not be required to respond to the subpoena because Mirza failed to establish a prima facie case.
—Jack Greiner, The Enquirer, 11 Jan. 2022
None of these scenarios is prima facie impossible, and therefore, once raised, none can be dismissed out of hand.
—Lindsay Beyerstein, The New Republic, 10 Dec. 2021
See All Example Sentences for prima facie
Ana Faguy, USA TODAY, 14 Apr. 2022
Many unsuccessful Black head coach candidates will probably meet this initial (prima facie) case of discrimination.
—Eric Bachman, Forbes, 26 Jan. 2022
Yelp argued that it ought not be required to respond to the subpoena because Mirza failed to establish a prima facie case.
—Jack Greiner, The Enquirer, 11 Jan. 2022
None of these scenarios is prima facie impossible, and therefore, once raised, none can be dismissed out of hand.
—Lindsay Beyerstein, The New Republic, 10 Dec. 2021
See All Example Sentences for prima facie
Recent Examples of Synonyms for prima facie
Adjective
-
The presumed reasoning behind why the film was ignored is multilayered.—
Marcus Jones,
IndieWire,
8 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
That became more evident in September, when Harry visited Charles amid the king's cancer diagnosis.—
Kathryn Palmer,
USA Today,
29 Apr. 2026
-
As the town is engulfed by the haunt, there’s a recognition evident in Rhys’ reactions, as if the horrors Tom’s facing are simultaneously too ludicrous to accept and too familiar to reject.—
Ben Travers,
IndieWire,
29 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
It’s been especially apparent this year because the draft is really good.—
Charles Bethea,
New Yorker,
26 Apr. 2026
-
As the argument continued, Alexander and his 62-year-old father, in turn, urinated on his neighbor’s yard in apparent retaliation for the dog’s actions, prosecutors say.—
Kerry Burke,
New York Daily News,
25 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Don’t force a quick fix, but don’t ignore what’s obvious.—
Tarot.com,
New York Daily News,
25 Apr. 2026
-
Likewise the only evidence that Trump might not be crazy is his obvious determination to seem so.—
Fintan O’Toole,
The New York Review of Books,
25 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
The company has raced to buy as much computing power as possible, making $600 billion in spending commitments last year.—
Tom Chivers,
semafor.com,
28 Apr. 2026
-
Determined to rise to the occasion and work out every possible kink, Daisy sets out to resolve conflicts between the stews and in the galley.—
Rafaela Bassili,
Vulture,
28 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Just a few years after the arrival of ZF, Kurt Gödel showed that no axiomatic system capable of basic arithmetic can be used to prove its own consistency.—
Quanta Magazine,
Quanta Magazine,
29 Apr. 2026
-
Many of those values are grounded in the idea—axiomatic for Christians—that human beings have a unique dignity and worth.—
Elias Wachtel,
The Atlantic,
25 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Saks’s financial relationship with vendors has frayed as chargebacks (fees for supposed violations of shipping manuals or packaging rules) moved from occasional nuisance to what Pollet characterized as a structured revenue stream.—
Lilian Raji,
Forbes.com,
28 Feb. 2026
-
But a handful of anglers, influencers, and content creators have gone public about their own experiences with DTF over the last week, and the supposed scam league is now dominating most corners of the online fishing space.—
Dac Collins,
Outdoor Life,
19 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
But, rewatching the film 20 years later (March 31 was the actual anniversary), Gunn's fingerprints are unmistakable, from the highly quotable dialogue to the quirky soundtrack lifted from the outer reaches of Gunn's eclectic music collection.—
Richard Edwards,
Space.com,
1 May 2026
-
In Moby Dick, Wilson cleaves to the story’s central existential quest, evoking the strangeness and humor of his source material through his own unmistakable landscapes.—
Sara Holdren,
Vulture,
1 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Prima facie.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/prima%20facie. Accessed 3 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
