precocious

[pri-koh-shuhs]

adjective

1. unusually advanced or mature in development, especially mental development.

   a precocious child.

2. prematurely developed, as the mind, faculties, etc.

3. of or relating to premature development.

4. Botany.

   1. flowering, fruiting, or ripening early, as plants or fruit.

   2. bearing blossoms before leaves, as plants.

   3. appearing before leaves, as flowers.

precocious

/ prɪˈkɒsɪtɪ, prɪˈkəʊʃəs /

adjective

1. ahead in development, such as the mental development of a child

2. botany (of plants, fruit, etc) flowering or ripening early

precocious

1. Relating to or having flowers that blossom before the leaves emerge. Some species of magnolias are precocious.

Other Word Forms

• precociously adverb
• precociousness noun
• unprecocious adjective
• unprecociously adverb
• unprecociousness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of precocious¹

1640–50; Latin praecoci-, stem of praecox ( precocity ) + -ous

Word History and Origins

Origin of precocious¹

C17: from Latin praecox early maturing, from prae early + coquere to ripen

Example Sentences

She approaches the American experiment from myriad angles, drawing on protagonists such as Jane Franklin, Ben Franklin’s precocious sister, and the Simulmatics Corp., whose pioneering computer algorithms still shape our reality.

From Los Angeles Times

A precocious draftsman, Goff began working at a Tulsa, Okla., architecture firm at age 12 and by 22 had designed what is still one of Tulsa’s great monuments: the bursting-with-wild-detail Boston Avenue United Methodist Church.

From Los Angeles Times

That his precocious battery mate was both a physical force and pitching prodigy.

From Los Angeles Times

The musician’s memoir is a patchwork of sorrow and joy, the work of precocious enduring still shadowing her present-day voice.

From Salon

We’ve all heard of the precocious children who learn to read on their own as early as age 2 or 3, but they are the outliers representing about 1% of children, said Neuman.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• bright 
• cocky 
• intelligent 
• mature