prime minister

American  

noun

• prime ministers
  plural

1. the principal minister and head of government in parliamentary systems; chief of the cabinet or ministry.

   the British prime minister.

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prime minister British  

noun

1. the head of a parliamentary government

2. the chief minister of a sovereign or a state

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prime minister Cultural  

1. The head of government in many nations. Prime minister is commonly the title of the head of government in a parliamentary system, such as that of Britain or Canada.

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• prime ministership
  noun
• prime ministry
  noun
• prime-ministership
  noun
• prime-ministerial
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• prime ministers
  plural

Etymology

Origin of prime minister

First recorded in 1640–50

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

prime minister

"Our work together already shows what can be achieved when our two countries combine our expertise and innovation," the prime minister said.

From BBC ● Sep. 22, 2026

Over the past three decades, Iran’s president or prime minister has spoken nearly every year at the U.N.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 22, 2026

The two men have spoken by phone twice since Burnham became prime minister in July, with Downing Street saying those calls established a "productive relationship".

From BBC ● Sep. 22, 2026

Our prime minister will proudly stand before the General Assembly Thursday.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 21, 2026

“Mandela, you look like a prime minister now, not a prisoner,” he said and smiled.

From "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela