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.
Oddie later discovered that her depression had followed the premature deaths of his two older siblings.
From BBC ● Jul. 27, 2026
What if parents try to shut down conversations, saying anything about future care is premature because they are in good health, or they stop listening when adult children suggest they need help?
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 25, 2026
The tech industry’s letter urged policymakers to keep “the frontier plural by avoiding premature restrictions on open models that stifle competition or drive innovation overseas.”
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 24, 2026
However, the same research also connected it with a higher risk of premature ventricular contractions.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 22, 2026
He knew the praise was premature, but the banquet hinted at the greater glory that would accrue to him at fair’s end, provided of course the exposition met the world’s elaborate expectations.
From "The Devil in the White City" by Erik Larson
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.
