precocious
Americanadjective
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unusually advanced or mature in development, especially mental development.
a precocious child.
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prematurely developed, as the mind, faculties, etc.
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of or relating to premature development.
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Botany.
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flowering, fruiting, or ripening early, as plants or fruit.
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bearing blossoms before leaves, as plants.
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appearing before leaves, as flowers.
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adjective
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ahead in development, such as the mental development of a child
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botany (of plants, fruit, etc) flowering or ripening early
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of precocious
1640–50; Latin praecoci-, stem of praecox ( see precocity) + -ous
Explanation
That high school hoops phenom who plays like an NBA pro? The sixth grader who's already asking questions about organic chemistry? They're both precocious — meaning they're way beyond their years in skill or knowledge. When you look at the Latin roots of precocious, it all makes sense. When pre (meaning "before") joins coquere (meaning "to ripen"), you have something that is ripening prematurely. And in the case of precocious, you are usually describing young people who have some adult-like quality about them. Maybe it's their vast vocabulary, maybe it's their ease with calculus, or maybe it's just applying lipstick.
Vocabulary lists containing precocious
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Hidden Figures
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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.
A precocious young Samuel can still be found showing off his dance and Spanish skills in an old commercial for the dealership.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 25, 2026
As a precocious youngster, he caught the eye of seasoned stars including Roger Federer as he followed his older brother Mischa - an Australian Open quarter-finalist in 2017 - around on tour.
From BBC • Jun. 7, 2026
The orphanage’s cartoonishly villainous chairlady, Miss Garnett, is especially nasty to Meg—who is plucky and appealing, if perhaps a bit more precocious than seems credible.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 15, 2026
“I was born the same year as YouTube,” says Kane Parsons, the precocious filmmaker about to upgrade from online-only fame to big-screen recognition.
From Los Angeles Times • May 14, 2026
His parents call him precocious; I looked it up, and it does not mean the personification of an earsplitting, nerve-jangling, head-pounding, exasperating plague that makes you long for deportation from your own country.
From "Liar, Liar" by Gary Paulsen
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.
