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premature

[ pree-muh-choor, -toor, -tyoor, pree-muh-choor or, especially British, prem-uh-, prem-uh- ]
/ ˌpri məˈtʃʊər, -ˈtʊər, -ˈtyʊər, ˈpri məˌtʃʊər or, especially British, ˌprɛm ə-, ˈprɛm ə- /
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See synonyms for premature on Thesaurus.com
adjective
occurring, coming, or done too soon: a premature announcement.
mature or ripe before the proper time.
noun
a premature infant.
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Origin of premature

From the Latin word praemātūrus, dating back to 1520–30. See pre-, mature

OTHER WORDS FROM premature

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022

Words related to premature

immature, incomplete, untimely, hasty, ill-considered, abortive, early on, embryonic, forward, green, inopportune, precipitate, predeveloped, previous, raw, soon, unanticipated, undeveloped, unfledged, unripe

How to use premature in a sentence

  • Our next character is famous for prematurity of genius, and named John Lewis Candiac.

    The Book of Curiosities|I. Platts

  • The season of female beauty precedes that of their reason, and from its prematurity soon decays.

    The History of Sumatra|William Marsden

  • His ideal was one of progress; but he came too soon, and paid for his prematurity with his life.

    An Outline of Russian Literature|Maurice Baring

  • "What Phillip is so stormed up about is the prematurity of it all," he said to Coffin.

    The Coffin Cure|Alan Edward Nourse

British Dictionary definitions for premature

premature
/ (ˌprɛməˈtjʊə, ˈprɛməˌtjʊə) /
adjective
occurring or existing before the normal or expected time
impulsive or hastya premature judgment
(of an infant) weighing less than 2500 g (5 1/2 lbs) and usually born before the end of the full period of gestation

Derived forms of premature

prematurely, adverbprematureness or prematurity, noun

Word Origin for premature

C16: from Latin praemātūrus, very early, from prae in advance + mātūrus ripe
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Medical definitions for premature

premature
[ prē′mə-chur′, -tur′ ]
adj.
Occurring or developing before the usual or expected time.
Born after a gestation period of less than the normal time, especially, in human infants, after a period of less than 37 weeks.

Other words from premature

pre′ma•tu′ri•ty n.
The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
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