premier

adjective

pri-ˈmir How to pronounce premier (audio)
Definition of premiernext
1
as in first
coming before all others in time or order a space shuttle on its premier voyage

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in chief
highest in rank or authority the premier authority on butterflies

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in main
coming before all others in importance the premier social occasion of the summer season

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of premier After an uncharacteristically lackluster 2025 season running the ball, ranking last in the Big Ten, the Gophers are determined to not only re-establish Taylor as one of the conference's premier rushers but find ways to get him the ball in the air. — ABC News, 3 Sep. 2026 The country of nearly 30 million is world-renowned as a hotspot for trekking and mountaineering, as well as a premier global destination for spiritual travel. — Sam Meredith,evelyn Cheng, CNBC, 2 Sep. 2026 Musk creation — cinema’s premier curtain-puller on power revealing the man who has amassed so much of it. — Steven Zeitchik, HollywoodReporter, 2 Sep. 2026 Streaming now The Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope will work in tandem with another premier observatory, the James Webb Space Telescope. — Ashley Strickland, CNN Money, 29 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for premier
Recent Examples of Synonyms for premier
  1. first
  2. chief
  3. main
  4. initial
  5. foremost
  6. primary
  7. inaugural
  8. commanding
Adjective
  • Jarren Duran hit his 20th homer, a solo shot on the first pitch from Grayson Rodriguez (4-7), to spark a four-run second inning for Boston, which improved to an MLB-best 34-17 since the All-Star break.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 8 Sep. 2026
  • The first full weekend of college football closed Monday night (eventually), and there was plenty to learn, especially given this was our first glimpse at most 2027 NFL Draft prospects.
    — Dane Brugler, New York Times, 8 Sep. 2026
Definition of first
Adjective
  • He was named chief operating officer and relocated to the company’s global headquarters in New York in 2017.
    — Lisa Lockwood, Footwear News, 9 Sep. 2026
  • Emails sent this year by CPSC chief data officer Elizabeth Puchek said hospitals would need to apply for an exemption from participation or face penalties.
    — CNN Money, CNN Money, 9 Sep. 2026
Definition of chief
Adjective
  • Rhodes owes Orton another lick after getting punted in the head following their WrestleMania 42 Night 1 main event brawl.
    — Ryan Gaydos OutKick, FOXNews.com, 6 Sep. 2026
  • Spectrum’s second flight began with ignition of the rocket’s nine Aquila main engines, burning a mixture of propane and liquid oxygen propellants to generate more than 150,000 pounds (675 kilonewtons) of thrust.
    — Stephen Clark, ArsTechnica, 6 Sep. 2026
Definition of main
Adjective
  • Doue’s initial double movement and left-footed dink into space are not easily replicated.
    — Art de Roché, New York Times, 9 Sep. 2026
  • The strategy gives Covenant several paths to scale Anthem beyond its initial US production base.
    — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 9 Sep. 2026
Definition of initial
Adjective
  • Iran’s foremost vulnerability to sanctions and the blockade remains its persistent need for imports, which totaled $17 billion in the first five months of this Iranian calendar year beginning in March.
    — Esfandyar Batmanghelidj, Foreign Affairs, 8 Sep. 2026
  • Asked about their firm’s primary hurdle in managing the current trade landscape, the vast majority (57 percent) said policy uncertainty, like tariffs changing with little notice, as their foremost challenge.
    — Kate Nishimura, Footwear News, 3 Sep. 2026
Definition of foremost
Adjective
  • The club prefers Taylor to serve as the primary organizational voice to relay its message — and to take the brunt of criticism.
    — Paul Dehner Jr, New York Times, 8 Sep. 2026
  • The charcoal floor tiling and island in the corner kitchen feel like something Rick Owens would have dreamed up, as are the primary bathroom’s concrete floors and shower stall.
    — Matthew Sedacca, Curbed, 7 Sep. 2026
Definition of primary
Adjective
  • These feats would later move to circuses but, despite its proud history, strongman only became an official sport in 1977 with the inaugural World’s Strongest Man.
    — Rob Tanner, New York Times, 8 Sep. 2026
  • Last June, the sisters helped the Conquer Chargers’ U17 team win the inaugural Roma Bowl in Italy after Sterling’s graduation.
    — Steve Galluzzo, Los Angeles Times, 8 Sep. 2026
Definition of inaugural
Adjective
  • Kirkwood had a commanding lead before Palou's spin caused a caution.
    — CBS News, CBS News, 23 Aug. 2026
  • Adrián Marín set up the play with his pass to Tiago as Orlando took what seemed to be a commanding lead in the second half.
    — Kyle Foley, The Orlando Sentinel, 13 Aug. 2026
Definition of commanding

Browse Nearby Words

premeditative
premier
premiere
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Premier.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/premier. Accessed 14 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on premier

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about premier

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of empirical

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Back to School Vocabulary

Words from the 'Odyssey'

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of
See More

Popular

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Back to School Vocabulary
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
funny guinea pig in glasses reading a book
Challenging Words You Should Know Vol 2 Words to the wise
See All