premiere
noun
a first public performance or showing of a play, opera, film, etc.
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premiere
1 American
[pri-meer, -myair]
/ prɪˈmɪər, -ˈmjɛər /
French
première
noun
-
premieres
plural
-
a first public performance or showing of a play, opera, film, etc.
-
the leading woman, as in a drama.
verb (used with object)
premiered,
premiering
verb (used without object)
premiered,
premiering
-
to have the first public showing.
It will premiere at the Arcadia Theater.
-
to perform publicly for the first time, as in a particular role, entertainment medium, etc..
When does he premiere as Hamlet?
adjective
première
2
American
[pri-meer, -myair, pr uh-myer]
/ prɪˈmɪər, -ˈmjɛər, prəˈmjɛr /
noun
-
premières
plural
premiere
British
/ ˈprɛmɪə, ˈprɛmɪˌɛə /
noun
-
the first public performance of a film, play, opera, etc
-
the leading lady in a theatre company
verb
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of premiere
First recorded in 1890–95; from French première literally, “first”; feminine of premier; see origin at premier
Explanation
A premiere is the first showing of a work of art. A movie premiere often takes place in Los Angeles or New York, with stars in attendance and the iconic red carpet rolled out to greet them. Premiere comes from the French première, which means "first." The French origin probably accounts for the word's being seen as elegant and exciting. Over time, premiere has spawned its own verb––to premiere means to perform or be performed for the first time.
Vocabulary lists containing premiere
English Words Derived from French, List 3
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Academy Awards, List 4
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Commonly Confused Words, List 4
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Her growing bump has been evident as she has promoted The Odyssey in recent weeks, but it attracted greater attention thanks to her choice of outfit at the premiere for The End of Oak Street.
From BBC ● Aug. 11, 2026
His first big break as a conductor was as music director of France’s premiere new music Ensemble Intercontemporain that was founded by Pierre Boulez.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 10, 2026
The difference is, Zainab was on her way to the recent London premiere of The Odyssey, one of the summer's biggest blockbusters.
From BBC ● Aug. 9, 2026
The pair have been photographed yachting in St. Tropez, holding hands in London and attending the premiere of the “Legally Blonde” prequel “Elle.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 8, 2026
On the eve of Good Boys’ world premiere at Chicago’s Steppenwolf Theatre in 2007, the company’s artistic director, Martha Lavey, commented on the play’s focus on class.
From "Drama High" by Michael Sokolove
One of Ms. Zeani's career highlights was singing the lead role of Blanche in the première of Francis Poulenc’s “Dialogues of the Carmelites” at La Scala in 1957.
From New York Times ● Mar. 21, 2023
On Monday the outgoing PM, Jean Castex, called Ms Borne "première ministre" - a feminine form of the usual "premier ministre" - to underline the historical significance of her appointment.
From BBC ● May 17, 2022
Notwithstanding the conservatism of the opera business, many top houses offer a world première every season or two.
From The New Yorker ● Dec. 30, 2019
Neuwirth’s “Orlando,” a radical feminist adaptation of Virginia Woolf’s novel, recently had its première at the Vienna State Opera.
From The New Yorker ● Dec. 30, 2019
I told Doreen I would not go to the show or the luncheon or the film première, but that I would not go to Coney Island either, I would stay in bed.
From "The Bell Jar" by Sylvia Plath
The YA musical drama, which premieres Friday, pays homage to musical theater, unconditional maternal love and the family-hour TV, er, Netflix movie.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 13, 2026
Notable performances include the world premieres of a work choreographed by ex-New York City Ballet principal Jock Soto and a piece by contemporary dancer and choreographer Sidra Bell.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 9, 2026
Zainab, who is Muslim and wears a hijab, is also often one of the only people covering her hair at premieres, but she says finding ways to incorporate modest wear is part of the fun.
From BBC ● Aug. 9, 2026
Both premieres were reminders that the sound system will have many purposes.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 16, 2026
Live concerts in the nineteenth century had typically presented mostly premieres, with some familiar favourites sandwiched in alongside them.
From "The Story of Music" by Howard Goodall
Whereas Barber liked to spend weekends quietly tending to the racehorses he owns, Ulrich liked going to parties and premières.
From The New Yorker ● Dec. 27, 2018
He was mooching around film sets and premières, and the parts began rolling in.
From Economist ● Jun. 9, 2016
That conceit, of the naturalized citizen serving as a ringleader for an inquisition into American history, is the notional germ of Ferguson’s new show, “Join or Die,” which premières on the History channel tonight.
From The New Yorker ● Feb. 18, 2016
But the new, six-episode “X-Files” miniseries, which premières this Sunday, is as weird and spontaneous as the original show.
From The New Yorker ● Jan. 23, 2016
"But, Madame Rodrigues—" "If one of my premières cares to take you in hand, I have no objection; but that is all I can do for you."
From Lippincott's Magazine, October 1885 by Various
The action takes place in New York City but much of the movie, which premiered in London this week, was filmed more than 3,000 miles away in Glasgow.
From BBC ● Jul. 31, 2026
“Iron Man and his Awesome Friends” premiered last year and will be renamed “Avengers: Mightiest Friends” in 2027.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 30, 2026
A late play of Noël Coward’s, it was considered outdated when it premiered in 1960.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 28, 2026
When the trailer for the adaptation premiered, Lesa Rubin, 60, and her daughter Katy Tometich, 34, dissected it together.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 9, 2026
Then, in 1750, he premiered a controversial new work that was a box-office flop.
From "The Story of Music" by Howard Goodall
The months-long integration of Disney+ and Hulu appears to have reached a tipping point, with nearly everything premiering on Hulu this month also available on Disney+.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 31, 2026
“Off Campus” was viewed by 36 million viewers within the first 12 days of premiering, the streamer reported, becoming its third most-watched show debut ever.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 15, 2026
Signatories included French superstar Juliette Binoche as well as director Arthur Harari, who co-wrote the Oscar-winning "Anatomy of a Fall" in 2023 and is premiering his film "The Unknown" in the main competition in Cannes.
From Barron's ● May 17, 2026
Hollywood star John Travolta has been surprised with an honourary Palme d'Or, the Cannes equivalent of a lifetime achievement award, while premiering his directorial debut at the film festival.
From BBC ● May 15, 2026
Through sheer coincidence, around the same time Mom was doing her research on the club, a documentary film about Peter Westbrook himself was premiering in New York City.
From "Proud" by Ibtihaj Muhammad
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
