premier

Formspremiers, premiering, premiered

Pluralpremiers

1. 1
   bestadjective

   Highest in rank, quality, or importance; foremost of its kind.

   The festival has become the premier event for independent filmmakers.

   He is regarded as the premier authority on Renaissance painting.

   UsageGoes before its noun: the premier event. Do not confuse it with premiere, the first showing of a film or play.

   Similarleading, foremost, top, preeminent, principal

   Oppositeminor, lesser, inferior, secondary

2. 2
   first showingverbtransitive

   To present something, such as a play, film, or collection, to an audience for the first time.

   The orchestra will premier the composer's latest symphony this fall.

   Designers premier their spring collections at the city's fashion week.

   UsageAlso spelled premiere. The work can be the subject too: the new film premieres this weekend.

   Similardebut, unveil, launch, introduce, present

3. 3
   state leadernounAustraliaCanadaSouth Africacountable

   The head of government and cabinet in a state or province.

   The premier of Ontario announced funding for rural roads.

   State premiers gathered to discuss health policy.

   UsageUsually the premier of a province or state; capitalized before a name: Premier Kingston.

   Note

   Here the word moves down a tier, to the state or province. In Canada, Australia and South Africa it is the title of the regional head of government, as with John Forrest in Western Australia. The plural, premiers, names them as a body, as at the 1887 conference that pressed Ottawa.

4. 4
   national leadernouncountable

   The head of a national government; a prime minister, as in the United Kingdom or China.

   As head of the national government, the premier faced hard questions about the country's foreign policy.

   After the general election, the new premier formed a national cabinet and promised to rebuild the country's economy.

   Note

   In Westminster politics the word is a shorthand for the prime minister. The Spectator of 1871 uses it of Gladstone. It names the same office, not a lesser one, so it works as a variant in running prose and saves repeating the full title. In federal countries the word also drops a level, to the provincial or state leader, so context decides which office is meant. Source

   Checked 7 Nov 2026 · 1 fact

   • The Spectator used 'Premier' to refer to Gladstone in 1871, in 'Our Tyrant', dated 29 July. en.wiktionary.org
5. 5
   champion teamnounAustraliacountable

   In sports, especially Australian rules football, the team that finishes a given season as champion.

   The reigning premier opened the football season with a narrow win over last year's runner-up.

   Last year's premiers struggled to repeat their success.

   Similarchampion, titleholder

   Note

   Australian sporting usage makes the word a season's honor rather than an office. The premier is the team that finishes the year as champion, a usage at home above all in Australian rules football. Readers from elsewhere may take premiers to mean state leaders, which share the spelling and the country. Only the context of a match, a season or a cup tells the two apart. Source

   Checked 7 Nov 2026 · 2 facts

   • In Australian sport, especially Australian rules football, a premier is a season's champion team. en.wiktionary.org
   • Australian state government leaders are called premiers. en.wikipedia.org

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