Usage Note: In entertainment contexts, the verb premiere has become the standard way of saying "to introduce to the public," or "to be introduced to the public." The verb first came out in the 1920s and has been the object of some criticism, but acceptance of it has been increasing ever since. The example The Philharmonic will premiere works by two young Americans was acceptable to only 14 percent of the Usage Panel in 1969, but in 1987 acceptance of the same sentence rose to 51 percent; in 1999, to 77 percent; and in 2008, to 84 percent. Acceptance of sentences in nonentertainment contexts, as in Last fall the school premiered several new degree programs, has lagged but followed a similar trajectory. Only 10 percent of the Panelists in our 1988 survey accepted the sentence Last fall the school premiered new degree programs in science and technology. The 1999 survey showed some increase in acceptability, to 25 percent, for the same sentence. In 2008, acceptance reached 38 percent. Thus, this usage might still be considered infelicitous by many, but resistance is waning.