premiere
noun
a first public performance or showing of a play, opera, film, etc.
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:
Hinton novel, has its L.A. premiere at the Hollywood Pantages Theatre.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 6, 2026
Its brand-new headquarters, a converted warehouse in an industrial park south of downtown, includes a 200-seat black box theater, where last week the company offered the premiere of its first-ever commissioned opera, Jorge Sosa’s “Ofrenda.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 5, 2026
But the ultimate reveal of the “Lanterns” finale, besides resolving the mystery established in the series premiere, is that the supposedly infallible Guardians are wrong to view fearlessness as the ultimate virtue.
From Salon ● Oct. 5, 2026
This propensity for attention-grabbing was certainly in full effect at Bill Pay’s official premiere.
From Slate ● Oct. 1, 2026
“She’s been running around busy with movie work, getting ready for the big fancy premiere on Thursday.”
From "The Red Car to Hollywood" by Jennie Liu
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
Abrahamsen upends that dynamic by choosing to give the role to a male singer—at the première, the formidable Danish bass-baritone Johan Reuter.
From The New Yorker ● Dec. 30, 2019
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
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
Wonka's The Golden Ticket premieres on Netflix this week, with a two-part finale scheduled for 30 September.
From BBC ● Sep. 23, 2026
The 29th season of “South America” premieres Sept. 16 at 10 p.m. on Comedy Central.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 9, 2026
Season 4 of “Tulsa King” premieres Friday, Oct.
From Salon ● Sep. 4, 2026
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
By the second half of the twentieth century this was certainly not the case for premieres of new operas or symphonies.
From "The Story of Music" by Howard Goodall
Now Morgan is asking us to spend ten more hours in the Queen’s company, with the sumptuous and surprisingly engrossing Netflix series “The Crown,” which premières today.
From The New Yorker ● Nov. 4, 2016
He was mooching around film sets and premières, and the parts began rolling in.
From Economist ● Jun. 9, 2016
As I commented when Levine retired, the company’s record of world premières in the past forty years is embarrassing: only five of them, together with the American première of Nico Muhly’s “Two Boys.”
From The New Yorker ● Jun. 2, 2016
But over the course of three seasons—the fourth premières tonight, on FX—“The Americans” has become one of the most multilayered dramas on TV; nothing else can match its combination of genuine sadness and muted, mordant hilarity.
From The New Yorker ● Mar. 16, 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
As long as television exists, “The Twilight Zone,” which premiered on Oct.
From Salon ● Oct. 10, 2026
His own short film, Keys, premiered at the Worcester Film Festival in September and has been nominated for "best local film" at the Birmingham Film Festival.
From BBC ● Oct. 3, 2026
Starring Sir Anthony Hopkins, the film premiered at the Toronto Film Festival and was released in the UK in January 2024.
From BBC ● Sep. 30, 2026
When “NAZA” premiered at the Venice Film Festival on Sept. 10, the documentary received a 25-minute standing ovation, setting a festival record.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 19, 2026
His iconic Messiah, though, was uniquely premiered in Dublin - then Britain’s second-largest city - in 1742.
From "The Story of Music" by Howard Goodall
He will play the lead role in the upcoming ITV drama The Party premiering on 11 October.
From BBC ● Oct. 9, 2026
The delightful “Cupertino,” also premiering Thursday, comes from Robert and Michelle King, whose other current CBS show is “Elsbeth.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 8, 2026
At 64, and with the show’s 51st season premiering in September, the host and producer has no plans to slow down.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 18, 2026
Goode’s third, “Monsters of God,” premiering Thursday on HBO, is both a direct descendant and forges a new path.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 6, 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.
