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• premiere
  premiere

  noun

  a first public performance or showing of a play, opera, film, etc.
• première
  première

  noun

  premiere.

premiere

¹ American  

[pri-meer, -myair] / prɪˈmɪər, -ˈmjɛər /

French première

noun

• premieres
  plural

1. a first public performance or showing of a play, opera, film, etc.

2. the leading woman, as in a drama.

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verb (used with object)

premiered, premiering

1. to present publicly for the first time.

   to premiere a new foreign film.

verb (used without object)

premiered, premiering

1. to have the first public showing.

   It will premiere at the Arcadia Theater.

2. to perform publicly for the first time, as in a particular role, entertainment medium, etc..

   When does he premiere as Hamlet?

adjective

1. first; initial; principal.

   a premiere showing; the premiere attraction of the evening.

première ² American  

[pri-meer, -myair, pruh-myer] / prɪˈmɪər, -ˈmjɛər, prəˈmjɛr /

noun

• premières
  plural

1. premiere.

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premiere British  

/ ˈprɛmɪə, ˈprɛmɪˌɛə /

noun

1. the first public performance of a film, play, opera, etc

2. the leading lady in a theatre company

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verb

1. to give or be the first public performance of

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• premieres
  plural
• premières
  plural

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.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

premiere première premieres premières premiered premiering

This fall’s Southern California theater offerings include New York successes such as “The Outsiders,” “Oh, Mary!” and “Purpose,” and the long-awaited L.A. area premiere of “Passing Strange.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 5, 2026

McLaughlin’s modern verse “translation” of Shakespeare’s “Pericles” is now receiving its West Coast premiere at Boston Court Pasadena.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 5, 2026

Its premiere coincides with the “Reacher” finale drop, with Alan Ritchson showing up in her story to make a secure a hand-off.

From Salon ● Sep. 4, 2026

Theo James, Hugh Bonneville and Maya Jama are some of the cast members in attendance at the shows London premiere tonight, where they caught up with the BBC's Noor Nanji.

From BBC ● Sep. 2, 2026

One composer who had no qualms about cooperating with the Nazi regime was Carl Orff, whose Carmina Burana had its tumultuously successful premiere in Frankfurt in June 1937.

From "The Story of Music" by Howard Goodall

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

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

When the movie was done, they staged an ersatz Hollywood première at a theatre in Westwood, with a limo hired by one boy’s parents.

From The New Yorker ● Nov. 4, 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

Risk-aversion on the part of budget-conscious studio executives means many studios have preferred to launch films through their own tightly controlled premieres instead of at festivals, which provide no guarantee of rave reviews from critics.

From Barron's ● Sep. 2, 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

“It’s not like I went to red-carpet premieres or fancy clubs or anything. Mostly I just went into LA for field trips and stuff.”

From "How to Disappear Completely" by Ali Standish

More than a hundred composers were featured, more than half of them supplying world premières.

From The New Yorker ● Jun. 20, 2016

The most arresting of the world premières was Ashley Fure’s “Bound to the Bow,” which appeared on a program by the Interlochen Arts Academy Orchestra, at Geffen Hall.

From The New Yorker ● Jun. 20, 2016

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

It was titled To the Stars, and three separate endings had been filmed, of which the appropriate one would of course be used in the eight separate world premières.

From Space Platform by Murray Leinster

The dramedy premiered earlier this year on sister service MGM+, to largely glowing reviews, and now gets a chance at reaching a much wider audience.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 31, 2026

Although they premiered more than 20 years apart, the television shows “Bluey” and “South Park” have been tarred with the “millennial” brush.

From Salon ● Aug. 30, 2026

Her most recent credits included roles this year on the TV show “The Upshaws,” the David Dastmalchian-led film “The Cure,” and a 12-minute short, “Achiever,” which premiered at South by Southwest in March.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 25, 2026

The bet paid off when their do-it-yourself season premiered on Netflix in 2024 and went to No. 1.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 14, 2026

On October 5, the first James Bond movie premiered in London.

From "Fallout: Spies, Superbombs, and the Ultimate Cold War Showdown" by Steve Sheinkin

For the film adaptation, premiering Friday on Netflix, you can add a truly banging cast that includes Robert De Niro, Adam Scott, Michelle Monaghan and Michael Keaton.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 27, 2026

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

The same is true of the deal’s union opponents in Hollywood who worry the merger could result in fewer of their films premiering on the big screen.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 21, 2026

Tom Hiddleston’s fascination with the classics drives “Pompeii: Out of Time with Tom Hiddleston,” a National Geographic series premiering on Wednesday for which the actor brushed up on his Latin.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 20, 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

Related Words

• beginning
• debut
• opening