premier

1 of 6

adjective (1)

pre·​mier pri-ˈmir 

-ˈmyir, 

-ˈmē-ər;

ˈprē-ˌmir 

-ˌmyir, 

-ˌmē-ər, 

ˈpre-

1

: first in position, rank, or importance

the city's premier restaurant

2

: first in time : earliest

premier

2 of 6

noun (1)

: prime minister

premiership

pri-ˈmir-ˌship 

-ˈmyir-, 

-ˈmē-ər-;

ˈprē-ˌmir-, 

-ˌmyir-, 

-ˌmē-ər-, 

ˈpre-

noun

premier

3 of 6

verb (1)

pre·​mier

less common spelling of premiere entry 2

intransitive verb

1

: to have a first public performance

The movie/play will premiere next week.

2

: to appear for the first time as a star performer

He premiered in the title role on Broadway.

transitive verb

: to give a first public performance of

The movie was premiered at the film festival.

premiere

4 of 6

noun (2)

pre·​miere pri-ˈmyer  -ˈmir 

-ˈmē-ər;

ˌpri-mē-ˈer

variants or less commonly première

plural premieres also premières

1

: a first performance or exhibition

the premiere of a play

the show's premiere episode

2

: the chief actress of a theatrical cast

premiere

5 of 6

verb (2)

pre·​miere pri-ˈmyer  -ˈmir 

-ˈmē-ər;

ˌpri-mē-ˈer

variants or less commonly première or premier

premiered also premièred; premiering also premièring

intransitive verb

1

: to have a first public performance

The movie/play will premiere next week.

2

: to appear for the first time as a star performer

He premiered in the title role on Broadway.

transitive verb

: to give a first public performance of

The movie was premiered at the film festival.

premiere

6 of 6

adjective (2)

pre·​miere pri-ˈmyer  -ˈmir 

-ˈmē-ər;

ˌpri-mē-ˈer

: premier

In addition to the sporting events, Lillehammer also offers one of Norway's premiere cultural sites in the Maihaugen Open Air Museum …

—William E. Schmidt

Synonyms of premier

Adjective (1)

• first
• initial
• foremost
• inaugural
• original
• earliest
• maiden
• pioneer

Examples of premier in a Sentence

Adjective (1)

a space shuttle on its premier voyage

the premier authority on butterflies

Noun (2)

The movie will have its premiere next week.

Verb (2)

The movie premieres next week.

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

Since then, his directorial work has screened at such premier genre festivals as Fantastic Fest and Fantasia. — Matt Grobar, Deadline, 29 June 2026

The institution has grown into one of the region’s premier history museums, featuring historic homes, gardens, archives and exhibitions. — Kaitlyn Harvey, AJC.com, 1 July 2026

Noun

Golden State added one of the WNBA’s premier defenders and most versatile players. — Marcus Thompson Ii, New York Times, 2 July 2026

Develop the world's premier cyber workforce through education, research and stronger public-private partnerships. — Emil Sayegh, Forbes.com, 4 July 2026

Verb

Wana Brands, a leader in edibles and other products, premier a hemp line. — Tribune Content Agency, The Mercury News, 12 Mar. 2025

However, it is expected to premier in the fall of 2026. — Griff Griffin, MSNBC Newsweek, 11 Dec. 2025

Noun

West is full of stories about the musical’s triumphant 1994 premiere. — Tribune News Service, San Diego Union-Tribune, 3 July 2026

In footage shared on social media at the time, Swift can be seen going out of her way at the premiere to hug and say hello to Sandler and his family. — ABC News, 4 July 2026

Verb

The creative team can’t wait to premiere The Guest and bring their team effort to the world. — Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 2 July 2026

Yes, watching a show that premiered in 1990 seems innocent enough. — Lauren Brown West-Rosenthal, Parents, 3 July 2026

Adjective

The premiere date reveal comes more than a month after Prime Video renewed the series for season 5. — Mekishana Pierre, Entertainment Weekly, 30 June 2026

This is the biggest series premiere on cable since 2023, according to the network. — Brayden Garcia, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 24 June 2026

Word History

Etymology

Adjective (1)

Middle English primer, primier "first in time, first in rank, foremost," borrowed from Anglo-French primer, premer, premyer "first, earliest, most important" (continental Old & Middle French primier, premier), going back to Latin prīmārius "of the highest importance or station (of persons), first-rate, chief" — more at primary entry 1

Note: Since its adoption in late Middle English, this word has shown influence in both pronunciation and spelling from Middle French and French premier.

Noun (1)

short for premier minister, after French premier ministre "first minister"

Noun (2)

(sense 1) borrowed from French première, short for première représentation "first performance"; (sense 2) probably noun derivative of premiere entry 3

Verb (2)

verb derivative of premiere entry 1

Adjective (2)

alteration of premier entry 1

First Known Use

Adjective (1)

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun (1)

1707, in the meaning defined above

Noun (2)

1889, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb (2)

1927, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense

Adjective (2)

1768, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing premier

• premier danseur

Rhymes for premier

• adhere
• ameer
• amir
• appear
• arrear
• astir
• austere
• career
• cashier
• cohere
• compere
• emir

Kids Definition

premier

1 of 2 adjective

pre·​mier pri-ˈm(y)i(ə)r  ˈprē-mē-ər 

ˈprem-ē-

1

: first in position, rank, or importance : principal

2

: first in time : earliest

premier

2 of 2 noun

: the chief minister of government : prime minister

premiership

-ˌship 

noun