premiere

1 of 3

noun

pre·​miere pri-ˈmyer How to pronounce premiere (audio) -ˈmir How to pronounce premiere (audio)
-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

2 of 3

verb

pre·​miere
variants or less commonly première or premier
pri-ˈmyer How to pronounce premiere (audio) -ˈmir How to pronounce premiere (audio)
-ˈmē-ər;
ˌpri-mē-ˈer
premiered also premièred; premiering also premièring

intransitive verb

1
: to have a first public performance
2
: to appear for the first time as a star performer

transitive verb

: to give a first public performance of

premiere

3 of 3

adjective

pre·​miere pri-ˈmyer How to pronounce premiere (audio) -ˈmir How to pronounce premiere (audio)
-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

Examples of premiere in a Sentence

Noun The movie will have its premiere next week. Verb The movie premieres next week.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
The following contains light spoilers for the Season 3 premiere of Elsbeth. Scarlett Harris, Time, 13 Oct. 2025 The Blu-ray release, announced on the eve of the Lumiere Film Festival’s International Classic Film Market (MIFC) in Lyon, follows the film collection’s premiere at this year’s La Rochelle Film Festival and a successful theatrical release in France. Ed Meza, Variety, 13 Oct. 2025
Verb
The Fort Worth Tarrant County branch of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People premiered a new documentary Saturday, highlighting the lives of eight legendary Fort Worth and Tarrant County residents. Ciara McCarthy, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 12 Oct. 2025 Duarte and her partner Markus Duffner plan to premiere the Cinema of Desire films next year in Brazil, followed by screenings at festivals and cinematheques to coincide with the 20th anniversary of José Antonio Garcia’s death and what would have been his 70th birthday. Lise Pedersen, Variety, 12 Oct. 2025
Adjective
Two episodes of the docuseries will arrive on the premiere date, followed by weekly releases. Althea Legaspi, Rolling Stone, 13 Oct. 2025 In addition to the premiere dates, a teaser trailer also gives audiences a tantalizing glimpse at Luke Thompson‘s Benedict encountering his love interest Sophie Baek (Yerin Ha). Katie Campione, Deadline, 13 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for premiere

Word History

Etymology

Noun

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

Verb

verb derivative of premiere entry 1

Adjective

alteration of premier entry 1

First Known Use

Noun

1889, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1927, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense

Adjective

1768, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of premiere was in 1768

Cite this Entry

“Premiere.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/premiere. Accessed 15 Oct. 2025.

Kids Definition

premiere

1 of 2 noun
: a first performance or showing
premiere of a play

premiere

2 of 2 adjective

More from Merriam-Webster on premiere

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