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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Commonly Confused Words, List 4
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Academy Awards, 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:
The Los Angeles premiere of "I Play Rocky" gathered key figures from the story's era.
From Barron's ● Nov. 5, 2026
He also hopes Cardiff can play host to a premiere, with his star cast attending.
From BBC ● Nov. 4, 2026
“Trio Élégiaque,” by 21-year-old Brady Farrar, a corps de ballet member, had the distinction of being a world premiere by the youngest choreographer to create for ABT’s main company.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 2, 2026
The show is going to premiere on Nov. 6, so we’re running out of time.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 30, 2026
This was followed by the premiere two years later of Cavalli's Ere ole amante in the Salle des Machines in the Tuileries, but the French had by this time developed a preference for ballet.
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
The second season of “Ted Lasso” will première on July 23rd.
From The New Yorker ● Jul. 15, 2021
Nonetheless, the world première was a startling and memorable night.
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
It premieres Tuesday on the streamer, and that timing is intentional.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 27, 2026
Arriving in theaters this fall after multiple splashy film festival premieres, it announces the 38-year-old actress, best known for playing a bedraggled spy in the Apple TV+ series Slow Horses, as a potential Oscar contender.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 7, 2026
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
“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
Decades ago, actresses attending film premières and award ceremonies were outfitted by movie-studio costume designers.
From The New Yorker ● Mar. 25, 2019
I’ll just trust you to catch up on the whole thing so that you can watch the final season, which premières in January.
From The New Yorker ● Dec. 11, 2018
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
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
In an audio interview in “Avedon,” the Ron Howard-directed documentary, which premiered at this year’s Cannes Film Festival and streams on Netflix, beginning Nov. 11, Richard Avedon is asked why he took up photography.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 4, 2026
The second season of the series, which co-stars Tom Hardy and is co-directed by Guy Ritchie, premiered in September.
From Barron's ● Oct. 28, 2026
But the first part of Bleach's animated final chapter eventually premiered 10 years later in 2022.
From BBC ● Oct. 26, 2026
Though an uncensored director’s cut premiered in 2002, it was never formally released on home media, and “The Devils” remained difficult to find outside of low-quality, choppily edited releases and torrents for decades.
From Salon ● Oct. 22, 2026
It was quite a different sight a year later when Monteverdi’s new opera, Arianna, premiered.
From "The Story of Music" by Howard Goodall
This is the brilliant way writer-director Jesse Eisenberg thrusts us into his third — and best — feature, “The Debut,” screening at this year’s New York Film Festival and premiering in theaters December 11.
From Salon ● Oct. 12, 2026
He will play the lead role in the upcoming ITV drama The Party premiering on 11 October.
From BBC ● Oct. 9, 2026
Mackenzie Crook, who wrote and directed “Detectorists,” a gorgeous pastoral comedy about hobbyist hunters seeking Saxon gold in southwest England, has a new series, “Small Prophets,” premiering Wednesday on Apple TV.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 7, 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
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
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