premiers

1. 1
   noun

   Plural of premier.

   The state premiers clashed over how to share the federal grants.

   Two former premiers were invited to advise the new cabinet.

   Note

   The plural gathers several kinds of leader under one spelling. Most often it names the heads of state or provincial governments in Australia, Canada or South Africa, as at a meeting of state premiers. Australian sport adds a twist: a season's premiers are its champion team, especially in Australian rules football, so context decides whether the premiers are politicians or players. In naval slang it can even mean ships' first lieutenants.

2. 2
   verb

   Third-person singular simple present indicative of premier.

   The studio premiers its biggest release of the year next month.

   The orchestra premiers a commissioned symphony at each season opener.

   Note

   The verb form carries two quite different actions. In one, someone premiers a work: a studio premiers a film, or an orchestra premiers a symphony, putting it before the public for the first time. In the other, a person premiers by governing in the role of premier. The spelling is shared with the plural noun, so in "the premiers" the word names people, while in "she premiers" it names an act.

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