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View synonyms for premier

premier

[pri-meer, -myeer, pree-meer]

noun

  1. the head of the cabinet in France or Italy or certain other countries; first minister; prime minister.

  2. a chief officer.



adjective

  1. first in rank; chief; leading.

  2. first in time; earliest; oldest.

premier

/ ˈprɛmjə /

noun

  1. another name for prime minister

  2. any of the heads of governments of the Canadian provinces and the Australian states

  3. (plural) the winners of a premiership

“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

adjective

  1. first in importance, rank, etc

  2. first in occurrence; earliest

“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

premier

  1. The head of government in many nations. A premier's position is usually the same as that of a prime minister. The chiefs of government of the provinces of Canada are called premiers.

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Other Word Forms

  • premiership noun
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Word History and Origins

Origin of premier1

First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English primer, primier, premer (adjective), from Anglo-French primer, premer and Middle French premier, primier, literally, “first,” from Latin prīmārius “of the first rank”; primary
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Word History and Origins

Origin of premier1

C15: from Old French: first, from Latin prīmārius principal, from prīmus first
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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.

New York state has Wadsworth, really the premier public health lab in the whole world.

Read more on Barron's

New York state has Wadsworth, really the premier public health lab in the whole world.

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He also helped ensure that Teton Pass, one of the nation’s premier destinations for backcountry recreation, remained open to the public.

The LDP is now in talks about forming a different alliance, boosting Takaichi's chances of becoming premier in a parliamentary vote that media reports said will likely happen on Tuesday.

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Though Silicon Valley is known as a premier tech hub and incubator for young companies, many firms have left the state in recent years, complaining of strict regulations, high taxes and costly labor.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

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When To Use

What does premier mean?

Premier is used to refer to the head of the government of certain countries, equivalent to a prime minister, as in The premier of France gave a speech today.Premier can also mean that something is highest in rank or is chief among a group, as in NASA is the premier authority on American spaceflight.Alternatively, premier can mean that something occurred earliest in time or is the oldest, as in The director has come a long way since the inexperience she showed during her premier film.The government position that a premier holds is referred to as a premiership, as in The popular premier restored a sense of respect and authority to the premiership.The word premier can be easily confused with the word premiere, which is often pronounced exactly the same. Premiere refers to the first public showing or display of something, as in The museum announced the premiere of a new dinosaur exhibit scheduled for later this month. Notably, premiere is used as a verb while premier is not.Example: The Italian premier met with the leaders of many other nations during the conference. 

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