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View synonyms for premature

premature

[ pree-muh-choor, -toor, -tyoor, pree-muh-chooror, especially British, prem-uh-, prem-uh- ]

adjective

  1. occurring, coming, or done too soon:

    a premature announcement.

  2. mature or ripe before the proper time.


noun

  1. a premature infant.

premature

/ ˌprɛməˈtjʊə; ˈprɛməˌtjʊə /

adjective

  1. occurring or existing before the normal or expected time
  2. impulsive or hasty

    a premature judgment

  3. (of an infant) weighing less than 2500 g (5 1 2 lbs) and usually born before the end of the full period of gestation
“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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Derived Forms

  • ˌpremaˈtureness, noun
  • ˌpremaˈturely, adverb
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Other Words From

  • prema·turely adverb
  • prema·turi·ty prema·tureness noun
  • unpre·ma·ture adjective
  • unpre·ma·turely adverb
  • unpre·ma·tureness noun
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Word History and Origins

Origin of premature1

From the Latin word praemātūrus, dating back to 1520–30. See pre-, mature
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Word History and Origins

Origin of premature1

C16: from Latin praemātūrus, very early, from prae in advance + mātūrus ripe
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Example Sentences

He said they had been free to behave in a way that damaged their own health, but they owed him a duty of care and their actions led to his premature death.

From BBC

A couple are celebrating the unexpected arrival of their premature son who was born in their car after it got stuck in flood water.

From BBC

State biologists had also recommended against designating the western Joshua tree as threatened, saying concerns about the effects of climate change were premature.

Studies have shown that homelessness increases the chances of health complications for the mother and the child, including premature birth and newborns requiring intensive care.

Last year, for example, legislators added an update to the ban for patients diagnosed with previable premature rupture of membranes, in which a patient’s water breaks before a fetus can survive.

From Salon

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