WordGarden.iopremiership
C2Pronunciation
UK
- /prˈɛmɪəʃˌɪp/
US
- /prɛˈmɪrˌʃɪp/
Meanings
Noun
a top-level sports league or championship, especially in team sports
the office or term of a prime minister
Beyond the definition
The "premiership" usually appears in two main stories. In politics, it means the office of a prime minister or the time that person serves as head of government. In sports, especially in the UK and Australia, it often means a league title, a championship win, or the top division of a competition. So the word can point either to national leadership or to finishing at the top in sport.
The word "premiership" began in politics. It refers to the office of a prime minister and also to the period when that person is in power. You may hear people speak about someone's "premiership" when they mean that leader's time in office, their government, or the years when they led the country. In this sense, the word belongs mainly to parliamentary systems.
Over time, the word also became very common in sports. In British and Australian English, it can mean the top division of a league, or it can mean the title won by the best team. For example, a team might play in a national Premiership, or fans might celebrate their club winning the premiership at the end of the season. The exact meaning depends on the sport and country, but the idea is usually the same: being at the top level or finishing first.
Outside those areas, the word is much less common, so it is best understood through these two core uses. If you see it in a political article, think of a prime minister's office or term. If you see it in a sports story, think of a top league or a championship. That covers most real-world uses of the word.
Examples
- 1
Football league
The club is fighting to stay in the Premiership this season.
- 2
Promotion
After two years in the lower division, they finally won promotion to the Premiership.
- 3
Title race
United are still in the race for the premiership title.
- 4
Term in office
The new tax rules were introduced during her premiership.
More examplesFewer examples
- 5
Government leadership
Under his premiership, the government focused heavily on education.
- Patternunder someone's premiership
while that person was prime minister
See also
Similar
- prime ministership
- term of office
Shades of meaning
Contrast
Used with (collocations)
- during his premiership
- under her premiership
- end of the premiership
Word family
Explore
- prime minister
- cabinet government
Forms and spellings
1 form open this card.
Main spelling
- premiershipnoun