premier

1 of 6

adjective (1)

pre·​mier pri-ˈmir How to pronounce premier (audio)
-ˈmyir
-ˈmē-ər;
ˈprē-ˌmir How to pronounce premier (audio)
-ˌmyir
-ˌmē-ər
ˈpre-
Synonyms of premier
1
: first in position, rank, or importance
the city's premier restaurant
2
: first in time : earliest

premier

2 of 6

noun (1)

premiership
pri-ˈmir-ˌship How to pronounce premier (audio)
-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 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

5 of 6

verb (2)

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 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 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 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
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.
Adjective
Eskenazi is a partner at Greenberg Glusker LLP, and widely regarded as one of the entertainment industry’s premier litigators. Matt Donnelly, Variety, 17 June 2026 Austria won a World Cup game for the first time in 36 years with a 3-1 victory Tuesday over a Jordan team on debut at soccer’s premier global event. ABC News, 17 June 2026
Noun
The Wind River Range in Wyoming is one premier destination, with more than 100 lakes there managed for goldens. Dac Collins, Outdoor Life, 18 June 2026 The premier of KwaZulu-Natal Province, where Durban is, has said nearly 10,000 Malawians have been camping in a park near the hall waiting to go home. ABC News, 17 June 2026
Verb
However, it is expected to premier in the fall of 2026. Griff Griffin, MSNBC Newsweek, 11 Dec. 2025 The second and third episodes will premier on Dec. 4 and Jan. 1, respectively. Katie Bain, Billboard, 6 Nov. 2025
Noun
At the world premiere of Shrinking season 2, Flockhart was right by her husband's side, and the two coordinated in classy black outfits. Kate Hogan, PEOPLE, 15 June 2026 The proximity between the film’s commercial premiere and January’s Epstein file dump simply gives the impression of timeliness when, in fact, its subject matter is timeless. Andy Crump, IndieWire, 15 June 2026
Verb
See what the cast of Jaws has been up to in the 51 years since the horror classic premiered. Randall Colburn, Entertainment Weekly, 20 June 2026 When Industry premiered during the thick of the pandemic, in November 2020, critics swiftly jumped on board — but audiences were slower to find the thrilling drama, which centers on ambitious young graduates navigating their new life in a cutthroat London investment bank. David Canfield, HollywoodReporter, 19 June 2026
Adjective
The companion podcast will be a total of eight episodes, one for each episode of season 1, with two pods released each Thursday starting premiere day. Patrick Gomez, Entertainment Weekly, 21 June 2026 In 2021, the group completed the restoration and reopened the single screen Cinema Troisi, a retrospective and premiere house which is open 24 hours a day, complete with cafe and student study hall. Anthony D'alessandro, Deadline, 18 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for premier

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of premier was in the 15th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Premier.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/premier. Accessed 23 Jun. 2026.

Kids Definition

premier

1 of 2 adjective
pre·​mier pri-ˈm(y)i(ə)r How to pronounce premier (audio) ˈprē-mē-ər How to pronounce premier (audio)
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 noun

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