Premier vs. Premiere – How to Use Each Correctly

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premier versus premiere

What is the Difference Between Premier and Premiere?

Premier and premier are homophones, which means they have the same pronunciation but different definitions and spellings. In other words, even though they sound the same, their meanings cannot be interchanged.

Premier can be a noun that means chief officer or political leader or an adjective that means first, best, or leading.

  • Matteo Renzi is the current premier of Italy.

Premiere can be a noun, verb, or adjective that refers to the first showing of a movie, play, TV show, or other form of entertainment.

  • The actress is going to the premiere of her latest film.

Now, let’s look at the specific ways to use these words.

Using Premier in a Sentence

When to use premier: Premier can act as a noun that means the head of cabinet in countries like Italy or France, or chief officer. It can also act as an adjective that means best, first, or leading.

For example,

  • The premier of France is meeting with the governor of California to discuss political issues. (noun)
  • We run the premier electronics shop in the state. (adjective)

Premier often appears in the names of companies. It can sometimes be a synonym for prime minister for several countries.

Using Premiere in a Sentence

When to use Premiere: Premiere can act as a noun, verb, or adjective that refers to the first showing of a film or other type of entertainment.

For example,

  • Audiences just finished the seventh season of Game of Thrones and they already cannot wait for the premiere of season eight.
  • Movie premieres often involve the films’ stars attending while dressed in very fashionable clothes.

Premiere comes from the French word meaning first.

Remembering Premier vs. Premiere

It is possible to use the spelling of premier and premiere to remember the meanings.

Premiere ends in the letter e, just like the words movie and performance. The e can also remind you of the word entertainment, which began with an e. This is a good way to remember that a premiere is the first showing of a movie, performance, or other type of entertainment.

Alternatively, you can think of the last letter of premier, which is r. This can remind you that premier means leader, which also ends in r.

Outside Examples

  • While McGregor, 29, compiled a 21-3 record in mixed martial arts, in which the rules allow him to use his feet and wrestle opponents to the ground, Bennett said the commission decided that he was simply a premier athlete who belonged in the ring with Mayweather. –New York Times
  • Over nearly 50 years of studying the physics of the sun, Pasachoff has become the world’s premier expert on total eclipses. As of Monday, he has witnessed 34 of them. –LA Times
  • The strong likeness of Reese Witherspoon and Ava Phillippe was front and center at Tuesday’s Home Again premiere. –USA Today
  • In the premiere of this season of “Bachelor in Paradise,” cast member Amanda Stanton noted that she couldn’t get in. –Denver Post

Quiz: Premiere vs. Premier

Instructions: Fill in the blank with the correct word, either premiere or premier, in the correct form.

  • The actors gathered backstage and waited nervously for start of their play’s _____________________, which would begin in just a few minutes.
  • The film made very little money on the night of its _____________________, yet surprisingly gained more and more popularity as the summer went on.
  • This is the ___________________ agency for young models and actors at the start of their careers. This agency has a success rate that is more than double the rate of all other agencies in this field.
  • The _______________ of Italy has many important political duties.
  • The production company is still trying to decide when to __________________ the action film. A summer ______________ date would help bring students to the theaters, but a fall _________________ date would take advantage of the Halloween theme.

See answers below.

Article Summary

Should I use premier or premiere? These two words both sound the same, but their meanings have no overlap.

  • Premier can act as either an adjective or noun that means the first or best or a political leader, respectively.
  • Premiere can act as a noun, verb, or adjective that means the first showing or initial release of a film or other type of entertainment.

Make sure you are aware of this difference when choosing which of these words to use.

Quiz Answers

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