# premier

Pronunciation: US say "pri-MEER" /pɹɪˈmɪəɹ/; UK say "PREM-ee-air" /ˈpɹɛ.mi.ɛː/; AUS say "PREM-yuh" /ˈpɹemjə/

## Adjective

1. Highest in rank, quality, or importance; foremost of its kind.
   - Simple: Best or most important of a particular kind.
   - _The festival has become the premier event for independent filmmakers._
   - _He is regarded as the premier authority on Renaissance painting._
6. Most ancient; first to hold a particular rank or status.
   - Simple: Oldest or first to hold a certain rank or title.
   - _The duke claims the premier earldom of the realm._
   - _They are the premier barons, ranking above all later creations._

## Verb

2. To present something, such as a play, film, or collection, to an audience for the first time.
   - Simple: To show or perform something 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._

## Noun

3. The head of government and cabinet in a state or province. *(Australia, Canada, South Africa)*
   - Simple: The head of government in a state or province.
   - _The premier of Ontario announced funding for rural roads._
   - _State premiers gathered to discuss health policy._
4. The head of a national government; a prime minister, as in the United Kingdom or China.
   - Simple: The leader of a country's government, like a prime minister.
   - _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._
5. In sports, especially Australian rules football, the team that finishes a given season as champion. *(Australia)*
   - Simple: The team that wins the championship in a sports season.
   - _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._

## Verb

7. To govern a state or country while holding the office of premier. *(rare)*
   - Simple: To lead a government as its premier.

## Other meanings

- (noun) On a ship, the officer ranking just below the captain, typically the first lieutenant.

## Origin

Latin prīmārius became the Middle French adjective premier, which English then borrowed; primary is its doublet.

Source: DictionaryAI, https://dictionaryai.com/define/premier (written from Wiktionary data, CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).