Word of the Day Archive
Tuesday August 1, 2006
prima facie \PRY-muh-FAY-shee; -shuh\ , adverb:
1. At first view; on the first appearance.
adjective:
1. True, valid, or adequate at first sight; as it seems at first sight; ostensible.
2. Self-evident; obvious.
3. (Law) Sufficient to establish a fact or a case unless disproved.
Rather, they are the product of considerable artistry in the analysis and exposition of statistical data, giving the conclusions a prima facie credibility.
-- Arnold R. Weber, "Keeping Management Awake", New York Times, June 10, 1984
With all rich men and women there is, of course, a substantial body of populist literature that concludes that their riches were won from the labor of others, or that the structure of capitalist society ensured that the rich would grow richer as the poor grew poorer, or that riches are prima facie evidence of unethical behavior.
-- Robin W. Winks, Laurance S. Rockefeller: Catalyst for Conservation
Consumers pick up a CD at the store and think the difference between the 60 cents it takes to make a disk and the $16 retail price is prima facie evidence of gouging. But the dreary economic facts are these: Subtract all the costs and the overhead that serves to support other artists under the same roof, and the net profit that the record company retains is about 59 cents per CD.
-- Randall E. Stross, "Napster nonsense", U.S.News & World Report, May 29, 2000
Prima facie is from the Latin phrase meaning "at first appearance."
Dictionary.com Entry and Pronunciation for prima facie
