premature
Americanadjective
-
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
-
impulsive or hasty
a 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
Other Word Forms
- prematurely adverb
- prematureness noun
- prematurity noun
- unpremature adjective
- unprematurely adverb
- unprematureness noun
Etymology
Origin of premature
From the Latin word praemātūrus, dating back to 1520–30. See pre-, mature
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.
Some genetic disorders are caused by premature stop codons in critical genes, which result in incomplete and nonfunctional proteins.
From Science Daily
Puma’s shares lost a chunk of Thursday’s gains after some analysts said optimism over a change in the brand’s fortunes could be premature, as the company continues to pursue its revamp strategy.
“Yes, we were a bit premature in arguing to lock in profits on the short side.”
From Barron's
After the crash the pregnant woman had to undergo an emergency Caesarean section, leaving her premature baby in intensive care for a number of weeks, when she suffered two collapsed lungs.
From BBC
Concerns over Oracle’s need for cash will likely continue to be a hurdle for investors, Schwartz added, which could make his team’s call premature.
From MarketWatch
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.
