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'Premier' means "the best, foremost" (or "prime minister"); 'premiere' is the opening night of a movie or show.
Side-by-side comparison
"Premier" is an adjective meaning "the most important, foremost", or a noun referring to the prime minister of certain countries.
This is the premier hotel in the city, known for its exceptional service.
The Australian premier announced new measures to fight climate change.
It's the premier event of the year for professionals in the industry.
"Premiere" is a noun (and sometimes a verb) referring to the first public showing of a movie, play, or TV series.
The movie's premiere was attended by hundreds of fans and journalists.
The show will premiere next Friday on the streaming platform.
She wore a stunning dress to the film's premiere in Los Angeles.
Common mistake
Writing "premier night" when you mean "opening night" is a common mistake: when talking about a movie, show, or play's OPENING, it's always "premiere" (with the extra final "e"), not "premier".
Trick to remember it
"Premiere" has that extra "e" at the end, like the fancy French red-carpet touch (the word comes straight from French). "Premier" (without that extra "e") simply means "foremost" or "first" in importance.
Quick rule
Talking about "the best/foremost", or a prime minister? "Premier". Talking about the opening night of something? "Premiere".
Did you know?
"Premier" and "premiere" both come from the French word for "first", but English borrowed them at different times. "Premier" arrived first, as an adjective meaning "foremost" and as a political title. "Premiere" came later from French theater ("première représentation", the first performance) and kept the final E, because in French "première" is the feminine form. So: the best, or the head of a government, is "premier"; the opening night of a show or film is "premiere".
Practise what you learned
Exercise 1 · Pick the right one
The restaurant is considered the _____ dining destination in the whole region.
Exercise 2 · Pick the right one
Fans camped outside the theater overnight for the movie's _____.
Exercise 3 · Form the word
Related word pairs
One means to receive or agree to something, the other means to exclude or not include.
'Advice' is the guidance you receive (noun); 'advise' is the act of giving that guidance (verb).
'Affect' is the verb meaning to influence something; 'effect' is the noun meaning result or consequence.
'Aisle' is the walkway between rows of seats or shelves; 'isle' is a small island.
Bryan López
Founder of SpeakUP Academy