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

The World Endurance Championship, the premier global sports car series, is set to scrap its plans to return to the Middle East at the end of the year, due to the resumption of hostilities in the region. — Luke Smith, New York Times, 26 July 2026

Under Harper’s leadership, Del Mar has become one of the industry’s premier destinations, combining world-class racing with innovative marketing, exceptional hospitality and an unmatched fan experience. — Bill Center, San Diego Union-Tribune, 25 July 2026

Noun

John Healey quit his former post last month after accusing then-premier Keir Starmer of endangering Britain by not committing to spending 3% of GDP on defense by 2030. — J.d. Capelouto, semafor.com, 20 July 2026

But Chicago would not host any games, having sat out the bidding process at the behest of Mayor Rahm Emanuel, who found FIFA's demands for expensive renovations to the city's premier stadium, Soldier Field, too much to ask of city taxpayers. — Becky Sullivan, NPR, 19 July 2026

Verb

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

Slated to premier in 2026, Bachelor Mansion Takeover enlists 12 former Bachelor, Bachelorette, Golden Bachelor and Golden Bachelorette contestants to help transform the series' iconic California property — and PEOPLE got an exclusive first look at the cast list! — Natalia Senanayake, PEOPLE, 14 Oct. 2025

Noun

The one on his wrist at the Moana premiere in Tokyo on Monday was one of three released in 2020 featuring the line’s very first chronograph. — Rachel Cormack, Robb Report, 25 July 2026

Kevin Heffernan, Steve Lemme, Paul Soter, Jay Chandrasekhar and Erik Stolhanske link up for the world premiere of Super Troopers 3 at San Diego Comic-Con on July 23. — People Staff, PEOPLE, 25 July 2026

Verb

The ongoing Season 18 premiered on April 19, 2026 with 24 brand-new contestants and judges Andy Allen (also the host), Poh Ling Yeow, Sofia Levin, and Jean-Christophe Novelli. — Katie Decker-Jacoby, StyleCaster, 24 July 2026

The production, directed by performance artist Kim Noble, premiered there in 2024. — David L. Coddon, San Diego Union-Tribune, 24 July 2026

Adjective

That was down 36 percent from season four’s premiere week (917 million minutes) last year. — Rick Porter, HollywoodReporter, 23 July 2026

The story includes a detail about the premiere episode of HBO Max’s Stuart Fails To Save the Universe. — Nellie Andreeva, Deadline, 23 July 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