prime minister

noun

1
: the chief minister of a ruler or state
2
: the official head of a cabinet or ministry
especially : the chief executive of a parliamentary government
prime ministerial adjective
prime ministership noun
prime ministry noun

Examples of prime minister in a Sentence

the Prime Minister of England
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.
The Israeli prime minister’s office had accused Hezbollah of violating the ceasefire and said three Israeli soldiers were seriously injured in a Hezbollah attack in southern Lebanon. — Charlotte Reck, CNN Money, 16 Aug. 2026 Last year, Brigitte Haas became its first female prime minister. — ABC News, 15 Aug. 2026 Britain’s prime minister urged national soul-searching after Jason Arday, Cambridge’s youngest Black professor, died suddenly days after resigning amid plagiarism allegations and media scrutiny of his life story. — Sylvia Hui, Los Angeles Times, 15 Aug. 2026 In Croatia, firefighters battled a major blaze overnight in the coastal town of Omis, where 14 people were hospitalized, according to the country's prime minister, Andrej Plenkovic. — Npr Staff, NPR, 14 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for prime minister

Word History

First Known Use

1655, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of prime minister was in 1655

Rhymes for prime minister

See All Rhymes for prime minister

Browse Nearby Words

prime meridian
prime minister
prime ministerial
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Prime minister.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/prime%20minister. Accessed 17 Aug. 2026.

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Kids Definition

prime minister

noun
: the chief officer of the government in some countries

Legal Definition

prime minister

noun
prime min·​is·​ter
-ˈmi-nə-stər
1
: the chief minister of a ruler or state
2
: the official head of a cabinet or ministry
especially : the chief executive of a parliamentary government
prime ministerial
-ˌmi-nə-ˈstir-ē-əl
adjective
prime ministership noun
prime ministry
-ˈmi-nə-strē
noun

More from Merriam-Webster on prime minister

Nglish: Translation of prime minister for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about prime minister

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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