premature
Americanadjective
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occurring, coming, or done too soon.
a premature announcement.
-
mature or ripe before the proper time.
noun
adjective
-
occurring or existing before the normal or expected time
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impulsive or hasty
a premature judgment
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(of an infant) weighing less than 2500 g (5 1/ 2 lbs) and usually born before the end of the full period of gestation
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of premature
From the Latin word praemātūrus, dating back to 1520–30. See pre-, mature
Explanation
Premature means "not yet ready." Something that is premature arrives early, like a premature baby born before her due date, or the soggy cake you took out of the oven prematurely. Premature is a simple word to break down. Pre means "early" or "before," and mature means "done" or "ready." If a decision is criticized as premature, it means that that decision was made too hastily, and probably would have been different if more time had been taken. If someone dies very young, you might say they died prematurely.
Vocabulary lists containing premature
Maus I: My Father Bleeds History
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The Catcher in the Rye
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50 Great Words from The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, by Mark Haddon
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Even though he made another unnecessary and way too premature prediction that this season’s Dodgers won’t three-peat, at least he said “they appear headed for an early fall.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 19, 2026
On Aug. 24, the court ruled that an earlier legal challenge was premature because it was brought before the Postal Service unveiled its final rules.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 14, 2026
Steve Englander, global head of G10 FX Research, said a hike would be premature given the crosscurrents in the inflation data.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 14, 2026
They seek to shield them from fear, from emotional burden, from a premature loss of innocence.
From Slate ● Sep. 11, 2026
A pregnant Fifi would have to do what is always done in such cases on the Island—marry immediately and brace herself for the gossip when her "premature baby" comes out fat and fully grown.
From "How the García Girls Lost Their Accents" by Julia Alvarez
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
