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 The 2026 World Cup is not even over and there is already speculation that FIFA will want its premier event to return to the United States by 2038. — Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 30 June 2026 General Electric once held a reputation as corporate America’s premier training ground for chief executives. — Ruth Umoh, Fortune, 30 June 2026 All four are premier players on this top-heavy team — a quartet the Astros need to win games. — Chandler Rome, New York Times, 29 June 2026 Inside the museum is the Blue Room, one of Kansas City’s premier performance venues and one of the few places where visitors can experience live jazz inside a museum dedicated to the music. — J.m. Banks june 29, Kansas City Star, 29 June 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
  • The West Nile virus has been detected in Yuba County for the first time this year, according to a Monday news release from the Sutter-Yuba Mosquito and Vector Control District.
    — Alula Alderson, Sacbee.com, 14 July 2026
  • Some of the first reports indicated that Adebayo threw a punch at Herro’s head before the two were separated, but some league sources have indicated that initial portrayals of the fight were overblown.
    — Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald, 14 July 2026
Definition of first
Adjective
  • In January, Mykhailo Fedorov, who had recently been named Ukraine’s defense minister, outlined one of his chief strategic goals.
    — Joshua Yaffa, New Yorker, 15 July 2026
  • The optimistic, neutral, and pessimistic cases A chief reason to put orbital data centers in space is the free, limitless power from the Sun.
    — Eric Berger, ArsTechnica, 15 July 2026
Definition of chief
Adjective
  • Of the 33 schools awarded grants, 19 schools opted for main entrance improvements while 14 chose to modernize their check-in and visitor badging systems.
    — Michelle Mullins, Chicago Tribune, 5 July 2026
  • India’s main stock index last month outperformed other emerging markets by the most since November, and foreign outflows hit a four-month low.
    — J.D. Capelouto, semafor.com, 5 July 2026
Definition of main
Adjective
  • The initial proof of principle by the Normal team served as an inspiration for Whitelam, who recently reported a simulation of a nonequilibrium thermodynamic computing circuit.
    — Quanta Magazine, Quanta Magazine, 15 July 2026
  • The initial broadcast sparked protests and complaints from viewers, advertisers, and conservative activists, leading some CBS affiliates to exclude the episode from their lineup of reruns the following summer.
    — Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 15 July 2026
Definition of initial
Adjective
  • With Disney serving as popular culture’s foremost purveyor of such retreads, the formula for what makes a live-action remake hit or miss with audiences could hardly seem less formulaic.
    — Chris Lee, Vulture, 14 July 2026
  • Forbes Business Council is the foremost growth and networking organization for business owners and leaders.
    — Radu Magdin, Forbes.com, 10 July 2026
Definition of foremost
Adjective
  • Leaving spring training, one of the primary concerns for the Rangers was its bullpen, and halfway through the season this group ranks 10th in MLB.
    — Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 14 July 2026
  • The district’s surveillance traps show numbers of Culex mosquitos — the primary vectors of West Nile virus — are at their highest.
    — Alula Alderson, Sacbee.com, 14 July 2026
Definition of primary
Adjective
  • For the Craft Roundtables’ inaugural year, IndieWire received nominations in the Outstanding Directing for a Daytime Studio Non-Fiction Series as well as the Outstanding Editing for a Daytime Studio Program.
    — Wilson Chapman, IndieWire, 14 July 2026
  • Launched at the inaugural Costa Rica Media Market last year in partnership with Grupo Morbido, the open call lured 55 projects from across the region.
    — Rafa Sales Ross, Variety, 14 July 2026
Definition of inaugural
Adjective
  • Edwards, who had been the commanding officer of HSC-5 since July 2025, was posthumously promoted to captain, the Navy said in a statement.
    — Angel Saunders, PEOPLE, 9 July 2026
  • And beyond all the light and magic of their goals, this was just a very commanding team performance.
    — Jack Lang, New York Times, 1 July 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 20 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on premier

Nglish: Translation of premier for Spanish Speakers

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 raffish

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

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

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

Do you 'say your piece' or 'say your peace'?

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

Commonly Misspelled Words
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

The Longest Long Words List

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

Why do we say 'fly off the handle'?
See More

Popular

See More

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

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat
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
child-detective
Spot the Misspelled Word July 2026 Those little red underlines can't help you now...
See All