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:
Speaking to the BBC at the film's BFI London Film Festival premiere, lead star Olivia Colman admitted she was taken aback by the online frenzy surrounding the film.
From BBC ● Oct. 9, 2026
TMO: Speaking of pleasure, how do you treat yourself after you premiere a collection on the runway?
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 7, 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
Lord Fredrick had been absent from both occasions: the holiday ball and the premiere.
From "The Hidden Gallery" by Maryrose Wood
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
The second season of “Ted Lasso” will première on July 23rd.
From The New Yorker ● Jul. 15, 2021
On October 20th, the Donaueschingen Music Days, the long-running German festival, gave the world première of “Elemental Realities,” Frey’s first large-scale piece for orchestra in many years.
From The New Yorker ● Oct. 29, 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
But how about the West Coast premieres of Alex Gibney’s new Elon Musk doc “Musk” or James Gray’s upcoming crime drama “Paper Tiger”? It may take a moment but they both make sense too.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 25, 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
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
I was invited to dozens of parties a week: art-gallery openings, benefit balls, movie premieres, book parties, and private dinners in marble- floored dining rooms.
From "The Glass Castle" by Jeannette Walls
I would see knots of critics at performances, gaggles of them at big premières.
From The New Yorker ● Mar. 13, 2017
Now CBS has jumped into the ring: “The Good Fight,” which premières Sunday, transports viewers back to May, 2016, when “The Good Wife” was still on the air.
From The New Yorker ● Feb. 18, 2017
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
Furies trip measures and strike attitudes in pink tights and draperies of unæsthetic hues, when not engaged in witnessing, with qualified interest, incidental dances by two premières danseuses.
From Punch, or the London Charivari, Volume 99, November 15, 1890 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
Only a year ago, after “Obsession” premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival, and before it grossed $519.4 million worldwide, her professional reality looked much different.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 28, 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
He will play the lead role in the upcoming ITV drama The Party premiering on 11 October.
From BBC ● Oct. 9, 2026
Based on the popular book series by Julia Quinn, “Bridgerton” has been a hit with audiences since premiering in 2020.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 8, 2026
HHS officials still held the event, premiering a separate food effort, and saying they were continuing to work on the ultraprocessed food policy.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 29, 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.
