premier

Premier is a word used as both an adjective and a noun in English. As an adjective, it means first in rank, importance, or time, or the best or most prominent. The noun form can refer to a leading official or figure in government in certain political systems. The term derives from the Old French premier meaning “first,” itself from Latin primus.

In political usage, premier commonly denotes the head of government of a subnational jurisdiction or of a country in some contexts. In Canada, for example, the chief executive of a province is the premier. In many French-speaking settings, the equivalent title is premier ministre (often rendered as “premier” in English-language texts), used for the head of government, such as the premier ministre of a country or province. The specific powers, duties, and even the exact title vary by country and region.

Beyond politics, premier is used to indicate top-tier status in other domains. It appears in phrases like “premier league,” indicating the highest level in a competition, and it can describe first-rank quality or importance in generic usage. The related noun premiere, with a different spelling, refers to the first public performance of a work or the event itself, and should not be confused with premier in its governmental sense.

Overall, the meaning of premier is context-dependent, ranging from first in order or importance to a formal title for a head of government in certain jurisdictions.