premiere

1 of 3

noun

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

2 of 3

verb

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

3 of 3

adjective

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

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

Noun

It was immediately preceded Friday by the California premiere of composer and saxophonist Steven Banks’ to be free, a stirring, deeply felt tribute to Nina Simone that was co-commissioned by La Jolla Music Society. — George Varga, San Diego Union-Tribune, 23 Aug. 2026

Yesterday in London, Elordi stepped out on the world premiere of Ridley Scott’s The Dog Stars alongside his canine co-star, Rak Jasper. — Anna Cafolla, Vogue, 21 Aug. 2026

Verb

The Shitheads at long last premiered in late January at the Park City fest, paving the way for a deal with IFC the following month. — Brian Davids, HollywoodReporter, 27 Aug. 2026

After premiering at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in 2017, Six opened in the West End in January 2019, then began performances on Broadway in February 2020 before its interruption by the shutdown. — Greg Evans, Deadline, 27 Aug. 2026

Adjective

Shortly after The Hollywood Reporter published an interview with the Golf Channel senior executive timed to the return Big Break, Knapp was forced to pull its premiere episode. — Tony Maglio, HollywoodReporter, 26 Aug. 2026

To that end, the FWFC launched its premiere package program last year that provides filmmakers with a free theatrical release since, per Academy rules, a film must screen for seven consecutive days to qualify. — Brayden Garcia, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 26 Aug. 2026

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

Phrases Containing premiere

• world premiere

Rhymes for premiere

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

Kids Definition

premiere

1 of 2 noun

pre·​miere pri-ˈmye(ə)r  -ˈmi(ə)r 

: a first performance or showing

premiere of a play

premiere

2 of 2 adjective

: premier