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.
Abbott agreed to pay $670 million to resolve a lawsuit over its specialty formulas for premature infants and about 2,000 related claims.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 20, 2026
Disney was willing to submit the premature renewal applications, and a flood of more than 150,000 comments to the FCC, from a swath of cross-partisan advocates, demonstrated overwhelming public support for ABC.
From Slate ● Aug. 18, 2026
Sauer reiterated that argument in his filing Wednesday, asking the high court to not only issue its order soon, but to make clear in it that not one but both of Talwani’s orders are premature.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 12, 2026
It added it was aiming to to support families with feeding difficulties, premature births, delayed milk supply or other challenges, and would support up to 160 mothers.
From BBC ● Aug. 3, 2026
But when I encountered Shakespeare one cold and overcast day, I knew instantly that my confidence had been premature.
From "Kaffir Boy: An Autobiography" by Mark Mathabane
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.
