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Premature: meaning, definitions and examples

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premature

 

[ ˌpriː.məˈtjʊər ]

Adjective
Context #1 | Adjective

birth

occurring or done before the usual or proper time; too early

Synonyms

early, hasty, precocious, untimely

Examples of usage

  • The baby was born prematurely at 7 months.
  • The premature announcement of the results caused confusion among the participants.
  • She regretted making a premature decision without considering all the options.
  • The premature death of the author shocked his fans.
  • He was criticized for his premature conclusions without sufficient evidence.
Context #2 | Adjective

development

occurring before the expected or usual time; early in development

Synonyms

advanced, early, precocious, untimely

Examples of usage

  • His premature baldness made him self-conscious.
  • She showed a premature interest in music at a young age.
  • The premature development of technology often leads to unforeseen consequences.
  • The premature aging of the skin can be caused by excessive sun exposure.
  • The premature celebration of victory proved to be premature as they lost in the final round.

Translations

Translations of the word "premature" in other languages:

🇵🇹 prematuro

🇮🇳 असमय

🇩🇪 vorzeitig

🇮🇩 prematur

🇺🇦 передчасний

🇵🇱 przedwczesny

🇯🇵 早すぎる

🇫🇷 prématuré

🇪🇸 prematuro

🇹🇷 erken

🇰🇷 조숙한

🇸🇦 سابق لأوانه

🇨🇿 předčasný

🇸🇰 predčasný

🇨🇳 过早的

🇸🇮 prezgoden

🇮🇸 tímabært

🇰🇿 ерте

🇬🇪 ადრეული

🇦🇿 vaxtından əvvəl

🇲🇽 prematuro

Etymology

The word 'premature' originated from the Latin word 'praematurus', which is a combination of 'prae' (before) and 'maturus' (ripe). It has been used in English since the 16th century to describe something that happens or develops before the expected time. The concept of prematurity is often associated with negative connotations, such as health complications or lack of readiness. However, in some contexts, being premature can also indicate advanced progress or early achievement.

See also: immature, immaturely, immaturity, maturation, mature, matured, maturing, maturity.

Word Frequency Rank

At #6,937 in frequency, this word belongs to advanced vocabulary. It's less common than core vocabulary but important for sophisticated expression.