precocity
Americannoun
Etymology
Origin of precocity
1630–40; < French précosité, equivalent to précose (< Latin praecoci-, stem of praecox early ripening, adj. derivative of praecoquere to bake or ripen early; see pre-, cook 1) + -ité -ity
Explanation
The noun precocity describes a smartness or skill that's achieved much earlier than usual. You'll be proud of your puppy's precocity if he is perfectly trained by the age of four months. If you're precocious, you've got the quality of precocity. You could also call it precociousness, but either way it means you're way ahead of the curve in ability or intelligence. You might comment on the precocity of your niece who learned to read when she was three, or the neighbor who started college at the age of fifteen. The root word is Latin, praecox, or "maturing early," which comes from pre, "before," and coquere, "to ripen or cook."
Vocabulary lists containing precocity
The Scarlet Letter
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The Handmaid's Tale
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The Turn of the Screw
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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.
She published her first professional writings jointly with Jules Sandeau, a law student whose youth, naiveté and intellectual precocity won the author’s affection.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 7, 2026
Yet the most striking thing about him is not the precocity.
From BBC ● Jun. 4, 2026
“I think there is a big misunderstanding between precocity and speed,” Ryan said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 30, 2025
“Such precocity, such regularity, is rare, almost unique. He’s someone who, if he is not injured, can manage to score between 45 and 55 goals each year, for years to come.”
From Washington Times ● Nov. 20, 2023
I conceived the idea of procuring some of the best stock possible of Rouens, Aylesburys, Cayugas, and crossing them on the Pekins, with the object of increasing the size and precocity.
From Natural and Artificial Duck Culture by James Rankin
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
