first among equals

noun

A person or position that is formally of equal rank to others in a group, but nonetheless takes a leading role within that group.

“The Orthodox consider the bishop of Rome to have always been merely a first among equals.”

OriginLatin primus inter pares →
Ask AI about this wordChatGPTClaudePerplexityGoogle AIGrok

Meanings

nounfirst among equals (plural firsts among equals)

plural firsts among equals

  1. idiomaticA person or position that is formally of equal rank to others in a group, but nonetheless takes a leading role within that group.

    The Orthodox consider the bishop of Rome to have always been merely a first among equals.

    1 more example

    I wonder whether Margaret Thatcher, Harold Macmillan, Winston Churchill, Lloyd George, Benjamin Disraeli and William Gladstone (going back in time) thought of themselves as mere firsts among equals.

    2003, H. Y. Sharada Prasad, The Book I Won't be Writing and Other Essays, page 40

Origin

  1. Latinprimus inter pares
  2. Englishfirst among equals

Calque of Latin primus inter pares.

More words from Latin

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Danish primus inter pares, først blandt ligemænd
  • primus inter paresleading a group of equals
  • først blandt ligemændleading a group of equals
Finnish ensimmäinen vertaistensa joukossa
  • ensimmäinen vertaistensa joukossaleading a group of equals
French premier parmi ses pairs
  • premier parmi ses pairsleading a group of equals
Hungarian első az egyenlők között
  • első az egyenlők közöttleading a group of equals
Irish bheith i do shaoi i measc na sua
  • bheith i do shaoi i measc na sualeading a group of equals
Italian primus inter pares
  • primus inter paresleading a group of equals
Latin prīmus inter parēs
  • prīmus inter parēsleading a group of equals
Polish pierwszy wśród równych
  • pierwszy wśród równychleading a group of equals
Russian пе́рвый сре́ди ра́вных
  • пе́рвый сре́ди ра́вных (pérvyj srédi rávnyx)leading a group of equals
Spanish primero entre iguales
  • primero entre igualesleading a group of equals
Cite this entry
APA

first among equals. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/first%20among%20equals

MLA

“first among equals.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/first%20among%20equals. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “first among equals,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/first%20among%20equals.

Source: first among equals on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.