a first public performance or showing of a play, opera, film, etc.
the leading woman, as in a drama.
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?
the first public performance of a film, play, opera, etc
the leading lady in a theatre company
First recorded in 1890–95; from French première literally, “first”; feminine of premier; see origin at premier
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.
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Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Mr. Morris’s 2025 “Pizzica,” the newest of the works here, had its New York premiere on the “Jazz and Pop” program.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 27, 2026
She brought her son, Teddy, to New York for the premiere of “The Odyssey” because she wanted to show him the place where her creative spirit was born.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 23, 2026
The studio skipped last year's event, but will be back at the coveted Hall H on Saturday to promote "Avengers: Doomsday," which is slated to premiere in December.
From Barron's ● Jul. 23, 2026
Speaking to the BBC at the 1993 premiere of Jurassic Park, which co-starred Richard Attenborough and Laura Dern, Neill said the way the film had been received was a "big surprise".
From BBC ● Jul. 13, 2026
The winter I was fifteen, the Van de Kamps invited me to go see the Christmas premiere with them at the Schouwburg, an old playhouse that Mama let me wear her pearls to visit.
From "Girl in the Blue Coat" by Monica Hesse
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
Ted Barron, their former professor, attended a première in Toronto, and searched for an appropriate comparison.
From The New Yorker ● Dec. 9, 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
Both the dome and the theater complex will feature repertory screenings, filmmaker series, premieres and special events.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 22, 2026
The couple will follow that epic with Destin Daniel Cretton’s “Spider-Man: Brand New Day,” which premieres July 31.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 16, 2026
The Cannes Film Festival wraps up today after two weeks of marathon screenings, black-tie gala premieres and beach parties.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 23, 2026
“Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves” premieres Friday, March 31 in theaters nationwide.
From Salon ● Mar. 31, 2023
Live concerts in the nineteenth century had typically presented mostly premieres, with some familiar favourites sandwiched in alongside them.
From "The Story of Music" by Howard Goodall
Whereas Barber liked to spend weekends quietly tending to the racehorses he owns, Ulrich liked going to parties and premières.
From The New Yorker ● Dec. 27, 2018
I would see knots of critics at performances, gaggles of them at big premières.
From The New Yorker ● Mar. 13, 2017
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
In 1842, she went to Paris, where she soon took rank with the best jeunes premières of the capital.
From Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine - Volume 61, No. 376, February, 1847 by Various
That August, the film premiered in lower Manhattan in New York.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 11, 2026
The New York Philharmonic premiered David Lang’s luminous “the wealth of nations.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 2, 2026
She recently returned to the spotlight with a starring role in the Prime Video series “Every Year After,” which premiered on June 10 and marked the actress’ first major project since 2022.
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 29, 2026
Barnard plays the title role in the new film, which premiered at the festival and will be released later this year.
From BBC ● Jun. 25, 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
Signatories included French superstar Juliette Binoche as well as director Arthur Harari, who co-wrote the Oscar-winning "Anatomy of a Fall" in 2023 and is premiering his film "The Unknown" in the main competition in Cannes.
From Barron's ● May 17, 2026
Hollywood star John Travolta has been surprised with an honourary Palme d'Or, the Cannes equivalent of a lifetime achievement award, while premiering his directorial debut at the film festival.
From BBC ● May 15, 2026
Movies premiering at Venice picked up 15, while two other fall festivals, Telluride and Toronto, largely programmed the Cannes features, alongside films that didn’t land with voters.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 12, 2026
Netflix has previously dabbled with theatrical releases, typically putting movies in several hundred cinemas for a few weeks at most before premiering them online.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 1, 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.
