n.
The first public performance, as of a movie or play.
v., -miered, or -mièred, -mier·ing, or -mièr·ing, -mieres, or -mières. v.tr.
To present the first public performance of.
v.intr.
- To have the first public performance.
- To make a first appearance in a public performance.
First or paramount; premier.
[French première, from feminine of premier, first. See premier.]
USAGE NOTE In entertainment contexts, the verb premiere has become the standard way of saying "to introduce to the public," or "to be introduced to the public." Since it seems always to imply newness, premiere is frequently used in advertising. Thus a movie can premiere in selected theaters, and a year later it can "premiere" to a different audience on television. The verb first came out in the 1930s and acceptance of it in general usage has been slow. In 1969, only 14 percent of the Usage Panel accepted it. Nineteen years later, however, when asked to judge the example The Philharmonic will premiere works by two young Americans, 51 percent of the Panelists accepted this usage. But only 10 percent of the Panelists in the 1988 survey accepted the extension of the verb to contexts outside of the entertainment industry, as in Last fall the school premiered new degree programs.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2007, 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2009. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
