premier

American  

[pri-meer, -myeer, pree-meer] / prɪˈmɪər, -ˈmyɪər, ˈpri mɪər /

noun

1. the head of the cabinet in France or Italy or certain other countries; first minister; prime minister.

2. a chief officer.

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adjective

1. first in rank; chief; leading.

2. first in time; earliest; oldest.

premier British  

/ ˈprɛmjə /

noun

1. another name for prime minister

2. any of the heads of governments of the Canadian provinces and the Australian states

3. (plural) the winners of a premiership

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adjective

1. first in importance, rank, etc

2. first in occurrence; earliest

premier Cultural  

1. The head of government in many nations. A premier's position is usually the same as that of a prime minister. The chiefs of government of the provinces of Canada are called premiers.

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Usage

What does premier mean? Premier is used to refer to the head of the government of certain countries, equivalent to a prime minister, as in The premier of France gave a speech today.Premier can also mean that something is highest in rank or is chief among a group, as in NASA is the premier authority on American spaceflight.Alternatively, premier can mean that something occurred earliest in time or is the oldest, as in The director has come a long way since the inexperience she showed during her premier film.The government position that a premier holds is referred to as a premiership, as in The popular premier restored a sense of respect and authority to the premiership.The word premier can be easily confused with the word premiere, which is often pronounced exactly the same. Premiere refers to the first public showing or display of something, as in The museum announced the premiere of a new dinosaur exhibit scheduled for later this month. Notably, premiere is used as a verb while premier is not.Example: The Italian premier met with the leaders of many other nations during the conference. 

Other Word Forms

• premiership noun

Etymology

Origin of premier

First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English primer, primier, premer (adjective), from Anglo-French primer, premer and Middle French premier, primier, literally, “first,” from Latin prīmārius “of the first rank”; primary

Example Sentences

Mourners - including the Governor General Sam Mostyn and New South Wales premier Chris Minns - packed out the service in Sydney, wearing bee broaches and stickers as a tribute to the girl who adored them.

From BBC

"These are complex decisions that cannot be forced," said Italian premier Giorgia Meloni, who could offer key political cover for Belgium.

From Barron's

The central government will coordinate with climate shelter networks already set up by some regional governments such as Catalonia and the Basque Country, the Socialist premier said.

From Barron's

The hosts' premier batter is expected to be fit for the fourth Test on Boxing Day.

From BBC

This is America’s premier Jewish museum, with an annual operating budget of $25 million.

From The Wall Street Journal