[pri-meer, -myair] 
noun, verb, -miered, -mier⋅ing, adjective | 1. | a first public performance or showing of a play, opera, film, etc. |
| 2. | the leading woman, as in a drama. |
| 3. | to present publicly for the first time: to premiere a new foreign film. |
| 4. | to have the first public showing: It will premiere at the Arcadia Theater. |
| 5. | to perform publicly for the first time, as in a particular role, entertainment medium, etc.: When does he premiere as Hamlet? |
| 6. | first; initial; principal: a premiere showing; the premiere attraction of the evening. |
[pri-meer, -myair; Fr. pruh-myer] noun, plural -mières [-meerz, -myairz; Fr. -myer] , verb (used with object), verb (used without object), -miered, -mier⋅ing, adjective | pre·miere or pre·mière (prĭ-mîr', -myâr') n. The first public performance, as of a movie or play. v. pre·miered or pre·mièred, pre·mier·ing or pre·mièr·ing, pre·mieres or pre·mières v. tr. To present the first public performance of. v. intr.
[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. |
