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

On Monday, Sir Keir announced that he would resign as Labour leader and prime minister but will stay on as leader until the party picks a replacement.

From BBC • Jun. 23, 2026

"The prime minister said he would seek to make the transition as easy as possible, giving his full support to whoever followed in his footsteps," a government readout of the meeting said.

From Barron's • Jun. 23, 2026

Burnham is the only candidate to have emerged so far and if he does not face a challenger he could become prime minister as early as 17 July.

From BBC • Jun. 23, 2026

Andy Burnham, expected to become Britain's next prime minister after Keir Starmer resigned, has set out to reassure investors concerned that state spending and debt could rise under his leadership.

From Barron's • Jun. 23, 2026

He might say, for example, that like the pharaoh of ancient Egypt, the prime minister of South Africa was raising an army.

From "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela