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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Academy Awards, List 4
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Commonly Confused Words, 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:
Earlier this week, the Golf Channel postponed the premiere of reality show “Big Break x Good Good” because one of the sponsors wanted out.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 27, 2026
The Golf Channel postponed its scheduled Aug. 25 premiere date of the reality show “Big Break x Good Good” after one of its sponsors asked for its branding to be removed from the show.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 27, 2026
Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone is due to premiere on Christmas this year on HBO Max.
From BBC ● Aug. 24, 2026
By the time the BBC launched the cult cinema series Moviedrome in 1988, external, there was only one choice for opening night - the premiere of a previously unseen edit of The Wicker Man.
From BBC ● Aug. 23, 2026
“She’s been running around busy with movie work, getting ready for the big fancy premiere on Thursday.”
From "The Red Car to Hollywood" by Jennie Liu
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
Abrahamsen upends that dynamic by choosing to give the role to a male singer—at the première, the formidable Danish bass-baritone Johan Reuter.
From The New Yorker ● Dec. 30, 2019
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
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
Notable performances include the world premieres of a work choreographed by ex-New York City Ballet principal Jock Soto and a piece by contemporary dancer and choreographer Sidra Bell.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 9, 2026
Zainab, who is Muslim and wears a hijab, is also often one of the only people covering her hair at premieres, but she says finding ways to incorporate modest wear is part of the fun.
From BBC ● Aug. 9, 2026
“Furious,” which premieres Monday on Hulu, is technically a serial killer story, since there are multiple murders committed by a single character, but happily that is the least of it.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 27, 2026
The event was reportedly the first of a limited number of premieres and screenings planned for this summer to support a 12-month renovation set to begin this fall.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 3, 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
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
Stevens’s background was in developing new plays, and under his watch, C.T.C. began to mount regional and world premières, some of which would go on to have life elsewhere.
From The New Yorker ● Sep. 17, 2018
He was mooching around film sets and premières, and the parts began rolling in.
From Economist ● Jun. 9, 2016
That conceit, of the naturalized citizen serving as a ringleader for an inquisition into American history, is the notional germ of Ferguson’s new show, “Join or Die,” which premières on the History channel tonight.
From The New Yorker ● Feb. 18, 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
Although they premiered more than 20 years apart, the television shows “Bluey” and “South Park” have been tarred with the “millennial” brush.
From Salon ● Aug. 30, 2026
When “Transamerica” premiered, the average American didn’t spend much time thinking about bathroom gender markers, much less trying to understand the intricacies of the trans experience.
From Salon ● Aug. 28, 2026
On his first season opening gala, he premiered John Adams’ “City Noir,” written for the occasion.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 12, 2026
The peaceful atmosphere features extensively in the documentary about his life, “Brunello: The Gracious Visionary,” which premiered this spring.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 6, 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
The months-long integration of Disney+ and Hulu appears to have reached a tipping point, with nearly everything premiering on Hulu this month also available on Disney+.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 31, 2026
“Off Campus” was viewed by 36 million viewers within the first 12 days of premiering, the streamer reported, becoming its third most-watched show debut ever.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 15, 2026
Disney’s first preschool princess returns for a new set of adventures in “Sofia the First: Royal Magic” premiering Monday on Disney Jr. The following day, eight episodes will stream on Disney+.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 22, 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
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.
