premature

adjective
UK: /ˈpremətʃər/
US: /ˌpriːməˈtʊr/

  1. Happening or done too early; before the expected or usual time.

    1. His premature death shocked everyone.
    2. The ceasefire was a premature announcement, as fighting soon resumed despite the agreement.

  2. A premature baby is born too early.

    1. The baby was born premature.
    2. Premature infants often require specialized care in a neonatal intensive care unit after birth.

  3. Developed or mature earlier than usual.

    1. She showed a premature interest in literature.
    2. His premature understanding of complex social issues impressed his teachers and peers alike.

Synonyms

beforehand forward previous early soon hasty precocious untimely advanced underdeveloped immature unripe
premature noun

  1. A baby born too early.

    1. The prematures are in incubators.
    2. The hospital has a special unit for prematures who need extra care.

Frequently Asked Questions

The word "premature" in English means: Happening or done too early; before the expected or usual time., A premature baby is born too early., Developed or mature earlier than usual..

The phonetic transcription of "premature" is /ˈpremətʃər/ in British English and /ˌpriːməˈtʊr/ in American English. Click the 🔊 button to hear both pronunciations.

Synonyms for "premature": beforehand, forward, previous, early, soon, hasty, precocious, untimely, advanced, underdeveloped, immature, unripe.

Example usage of "premature": "His premature death shocked everyone.". More examples on the page.