: the first printed edition especially of a work that circulated in manuscript before printing became common

Word History

Etymology

New Latin, literally, first edition

First Known Use

1750, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of editio princeps was in 1750

Dictionary Entries Near editio princeps

edition binding

editio princeps

edit oneself

Cite this Entry

“Editio princeps.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/editio%20princeps. Accessed 30 Nov. 2024.

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!