Word Choice: Premier vs. Premiere

‘Premier’ and ‘premiere’ are words commonly associated with luxury and red-carpet ceremonies, but how many of us know the difference between them?

They’re certainly terms we see misused on occasion, which is understandable given their similarity. But each also has a distinct meaning, so you won’t want to confuse them in your written work.

Premier (First in Status or Importance)

The more common of these terms is probably ‘premier’, which can have one of two meanings. One is ‘first in status or importance’, often used to suggest something is the best or first of its kind:

Bobby ‘Quick Hands’ Johnson was the premier kitten juggler of his age.

The second is as a noun denoting a prime minister:

The British premier today visited a farm to regain the trust of rural voters.

This second meaning is related to the first, since a prime minister is usually the ‘premier’ political figure in a government.

Premiere (A First Performance)

A ‘premiere’ is also the first of something, but specifically the first public performance of something. This is why the opening night of a film or play is known as its ‘premiere’:

I’ve been invited to the premiere of the new film! Hooray!

Apple will premiere its new device at a press event in June.

Used as either a noun or a verb, however, ‘premiere’ always refers to the first time something is presented to the public.

Premier or Premiere?

These words are very similar, so it’s easy to mix them up by accident if you don’t proofread carefully. Nevertheless, as long as you check your work carefully and know what each of ‘premier’ and ‘premiere’ mean, it’s easy to avoid mistakes.

The main thing to keep in mind is that ‘premiere’ (with the extra ‘e’) always refers to the first time something is shown in public.

If this isn’t what you have in mind, the word you’ll need will be ‘premier’, meaning ‘first in importance’. Remember:

Premier (adjective) = First in status

Premiere (noun/verb) = First performance