precocious

American  

[pri-koh-shuhs] / prɪˈkoʊ ʃəs /

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.

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precocious British  

/ 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

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precocious Scientific  

/ prĭ-kō′shəs /

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

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Other Word Forms

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

Etymology

Origin of precocious

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

Example Sentences

When I share things like that, people often say, “My, aren’t you precocious, Elizabeth.”

From Literature

Which is an issue because the three Flynn daughters are unusually precocious.

From The Wall Street Journal

"What would an incredibly precocious child, who remembers everything he ever thought - because computers don't forget things - feel like when he started talking?"

From BBC

Macaulay was a self-made man elevated to the pinnacle of Britain’s ruling class, thanks to his precocious intelligence and scholarly brilliance.

From The Wall Street Journal

The most precocious have become known as "Sephora Kids" -- a reference to the popular French beauty retailer -- as they seek to copy popular TikTok or YouTube influencers, some of whom are as young as seven.

From Barron's

Related Words

• bright
• cocky
• intelligent
• mature