prime minister

Table of Contents

References & Edit History Quick Facts & Related Topics

Images

For Students

prime minister summary

Read Next

David Cameron. President Barack Obama and Prime Minister David Cameron of the United Kingdom talk during the G8 Summit at the Lough Erne Resort in Enniskillen, Northern Ireland, June 17, 2013

What’s the Difference Between a President and a Prime Minister?

Queen Elizabeth II addresses at opening of Parliament. (Date unknown on photo, but may be 1958, the first time the opening of Parliament was filmed.)

All 119 References in “We Didn’t Start the Fire,” Explained

American soldiers in the Ardennes during the Battle of the Bulge.

9 Questions About World War II Answered

Communism - mosaic hammer and sickle with star on the Pavilion of Ukraine at the All Russia Exhibition Centre (also known as VDNKh) in Moscow. Communist symbol of the former Soviet Union. USSR

Why Did the Soviet Union Collapse?

Operation Barbarossa, German troops in Russia, 1941. Nazi German soldiers in action against the Red Army (Soviet Union) at an along the frontlines in the early days of the German invasion of the Soviet Union, 1941. World War II, WWII

75th Anniversary of Operation Barbarossa

Discover

illustration of the walking titanosaurus, Patagotitan mayorum

Titanosaurs: 8 of the World's Biggest Dinosaurs

Giorgione, Italian, 1477/1478-1510, The Adoration of the Shepherds, 1505/1510, oil on panel, overall: 90.8 x 110.5 cm (35 3/4 x 43 1/2 in.), Samuel H. Kress Collection, 1939.1.289, National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.

8 Must-See Paintings at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C.

airplane in flight (plane, aircraft, flying)

7 Puzzling Plane Disappearances

Nostradamus and His Prophecies

Aphrodite. Greek mythology. Sculpture. Aphrodite is the Greek goddess of love and beauty.

12 Greek Gods and Goddesses

Marriage. A couple getting married during a church wedding ceremony. (religion, ceremony, bride, groom)

The Seven Sacraments of the Roman Catholic church

Prayer beads on Quran or Koran written in Arabic Islam's sacred and liturgical language. text, words, Ramadan

Celebrating Ramadan

History & Society

prime minister

government official

Also known as: premier

Written by Patrick Dunleavy

Fact-checked by The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica

Last Updated: Mar 10, 2024 • Article History

Walpole, Robert

See all media

Category: History & Society

Also called:: premier

Key People:: Shavkat Mirziyoyev

Related Topics:: vote of confidence; taoiseach; office

See all related content →

Recent News

Mar. 8, 2024, 10:30 PM ET (The Indian Express)

PM Modi’s silence on Patnaik’s rule in Odisha fuels BJP-BJD reunion speculation

Mar. 7, 2024, 10:28 PM ET (Yahoo Movies Canada)

Britain's new PM faces an 80s playlist: recession, unrest and runaway prices

prime minister, the head of government in a country with a parliamentary or semipresidential political system. In such systems, the prime minister—literally the “first,” or most important, minister—must be able to command a continuous majority in the legislature (usually the lower house in a bicameral system) to remain in office. Most countries with prime ministers have two executives, a head of government (the prime minister) and a head of state (generally either a non-executive president or a hereditary monarch). The head of state formally appoints the prime minister, who in turn selects the other cabinet ministers. In practice, however, the ...(100 of 2314 words)

Access the full article

Help support true facts by becoming a member.