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.
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
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.
: 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
This upcoming week, thousands of industry experts descend on Las Vegas for Black Hat, one of the premier cybersecurity events of the year. Samantha Subin, CNBC, 1 Aug. 2026 However, Miami faced one of the premier offensive players in the league in Boston’s Jeremy Pargo, another MVP candidate. Ava Dicecca, Sun Sentinel, 1 Aug. 2026
Noun
In 2024, the premier of British Columbia appointed Daniel Vigo, a psychiatrist and public-health researcher, as the province’s chief scientific adviser on toxic drugs. Michael Powell, The Atlantic, 30 July 2026 Wisfe Aish, philanthropist and CEO/Founder, Double AA Corporation, a premier fuel provider for California and beyond for over two decades. Wisfe Aish, Forbes.com, 29 July 2026
Verb
However, it is expected to premier in the fall of 2026. Griff Griffin, MSNBC Newsweek, 11 Dec. 2025 Slated to premier in 2026, Bachelor Mansion Takeover enlists 12 former Bachelor, Bachelorette, Golden Bachelor and Golden Bachelorette contestants to help transform the series' iconic California property — and PEOPLE got an exclusive first look at the cast list! Natalia Senanayake, PEOPLE, 14 Oct. 2025
Noun
The only exceptions to Black were when Zendaya wore an ivory Tamara Ralph gown to the London premiere, and a white and black Atelier Versace gown to the premiere in Shanghai, China. Carly Thomas, HollywoodReporter, 1 Aug. 2026 Michael Kelly and James Jordan buddy up at the season 3 premiere of Lioness on July 28 in New York City. People Staff, PEOPLE, 1 Aug. 2026
Verb
Shadow of the Colossus and The Last Guardian will once again return to turntables in Q4 2026, and the ICO OST will premiere, thanks to a new deal struck between Sony and iam8bit. Matt Gardner, Forbes.com, 31 July 2026 Sandbox and Rooftop Films premiered the doc outdoors at Central Park’s Great Hill earlier this week. Jill Goldsmith, Deadline, 31 July 2026
Adjective
Preliminary Nielsen data places the show among the top five original streaming series for its first two weeks; final Nielsen numbers for its premiere week will be released Thursday. Rick Porter, HollywoodReporter, 5 Aug. 2026 In the premiere episode, six-time Mirrorball champion Derek Hough flew in as a mentor and guest judge to help the 12 contestants pair up and assigned the men to perform a jive and the women to dance a samba. Caroline Blair, PEOPLE, 5 Aug. 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 7 Aug. 2026.

Kids Definition

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

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