first among equals

noun phrase

: the leader of a group of people who is officially considered equal in rights and status to the other members of the group
As a director, he encourages collaboration and considers himself only (the) first among equals.

Examples of first among equals in a Sentence

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Sheryl Lee Ralph remains first among equals in the Abbott supporting cast, but whereas in years past this category has had room for her co-stars Janelle James and Lisa Ann Walter, that might not be the case now. Joe Reid, Vulture, 13 July 2024 This concept goes back to the Latin phrase primus inter pares or first among equals. Reader Commentary, Baltimore Sun, 3 Aug. 2024 Whereas Pope Francis holds supremacy over the Roman Catholic Church, the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I of Constantinople is the first among equals in the Eastern Orthodox Church. Jose R. Gonzalez, The Arizona Republic, 4 May 2024 In the Indian system, based on the British model, the prime minister is supposed to be merely first among equals. Ramachandra Guha, Foreign Affairs, 20 Feb. 2024 Nasrallah has emerged as a first among equals, the officials say. Mustafa Salim, Washington Post, 1 Jan. 2024 Under India’s parliamentary system, the Prime Minister is a member of the legislature, first among equals. Daniel Brook, The New Yorker, 7 Sep. 2023 But for Swift, there’s one duet partner who is first among equals: Ed Sheeran. Eli Miller, Vulture, 16 June 2023 Ramsay is first among equals in the exceptional cast, but it’s left to another member of the cast to deliver what is arguably the biggest shock to the audience. Joe Leydon, Variety, 12 May 2023

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Cite this Entry

“First among equals.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/first%20among%20equals. Accessed 30 Dec. 2024.

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