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.
He had just completed production on Wrath of the Gods, the concluding chapter to the Wicker Man trilogy, which was due to premiere later this month.
From BBC ● Aug. 2, 2026
Three, if you count the series’ debut at the 2023 Tribeca Festival before its 2024 premiere on BET+.
From Salon ● Aug. 1, 2026
You think I’m letting my client’s horror movie premiere on the same day as a MrBeast video?
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 28, 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
It was like some horrible nightmare where she was walking the red carpet of a fancy movie premiere in an aluminum-foil hat and rubber-duckie rain boots, and why was this happening to her?
From "Aru Shah and the End of Time" by Roshani Chokshi
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
When the movie was done, they staged an ersatz Hollywood première at a theatre in Westwood, with a limo hired by one boy’s parents.
From The New Yorker ● Nov. 4, 2019
That evening, there was a red-carpet première, and at midnight he would fly to England, for the London Film Festival.
From The New Yorker ● Oct. 21, 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
I spoke with Heidecker between the premieres of the first and second episodes; these are edited excerpts from the conversation.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 14, 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
“Hacks” premieres with two episodes at 6 p.m.
From Salon ● Apr. 10, 2025
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
He was mooching around film sets and premières, and the parts began rolling in.
From Economist ● Jun. 9, 2016
The designers have not sought celebrity endorsements for Alta Moda, and don’t give the dresses away for red-carpet premières.
From The New Yorker ● Sep. 21, 2015
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 Leinster, Murray
“Iron Man and his Awesome Friends” premiered last year and will be renamed “Avengers: Mightiest Friends” in 2027.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 30, 2026
Campbell appeared on the family's reality programmes multiple times since they were first brought into the spotlight with Keeping Up with the Kardashians, which premiered in 2007.
From BBC ● Jul. 16, 2026
The American animated series premiered in 2005 on Nickelodeon, a network entirely devoted to children’s programming.
From Salon ● Jul. 8, 2026
The Apple TV series premiered on April 29, arriving so late that only seven of its 10 episodes are eligible for Emmy consideration.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 7, 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
The result is “Questioning,” a 55-minute theatrical production premiering July 10 at New Theater Hollywood before traveling to Art Basel Miami Beach in December and, eventually, museums and gallery spaces as a room-based installation.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 7, 2026
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
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.
