Primus inter pares (,
prōtos metaxỳ ísōn) is a
Latin phrase meaning
first among equals. It is typically used as an honorary title for those who are formally equal to other members of their group but are accorded unofficial respect, traditionally owing to their
seniority in office. The
princeps senatus of the
Roman Senate was such a figure and initially only bore the distinction that he was allowed to speak first during
debate. However, the term is also often used
ironically or self-deprecatingly by leaders with much higher status as a form of
respect,
camaraderie, or
propaganda. After the
fall of the Republic,
Roman emperors initially referred to themselves only as
princeps despite having power of life and death over their "fellow citizens". Various modern figures such as the
Chair of the Federal Reserve, the
Prime Minister of
parliamentary regimes, the
Federal President of Switzerland, the
Chief Justice of the United States, and the
Ecumenical Patriarch of the
Eastern Orthodox Church fall under both senses: bearing higher status and various additional powers while remaining still merely equal to their peers in important senses.