jeune premier

[ French zhœn pruh-myey ]

noun

, plural jeunes pre·miers [zh, œ, n p, r, uh, -, myey].

1. the male juvenile lead in a play or movie.
2. a young actor who plays such a role.

Word History and Origins

Origin of jeune premier¹

1850–55; < French: literally, young first (actor)

Example Sentences

Marcel Provost: "Le jeune premier des romans de Georges Ohnet," which isn't bad.

From Project Gutenberg

He continued to act as jeune premier until he was sixty, his grace, marvellous diction and passion enchanting his audiences.

From Project Gutenberg

Thinking of the many audiences on which from private boxes he had looked down, John was sure that bald heads always predominated in the auditorium; and naturally those bald heads had been only too ready to nod approval of a heroine who rejected the dashing jeune premier to fling herself into the arms of the elderly actor-manager.

From Project Gutenberg

With his brand-new frock coat and immaculate silk hat, with his gold-mounted cane and Su�de gloves, he was better equipped for the jeune premier warbling of love, than for the grief-stricken husband watching in penniless desolation by the bedside of a dying wife.

From Project Gutenberg

The thought of this bloated sexagenarian faked up as a jeune premier, pawing that sweet little girl, sickened him.

From Project Gutenberg