premature

1 of 2

adjective

pre·ma·ture ˌprē-mə-ˈchu̇r

-ˈchər

also -ˈtu̇r,

-ˈtyu̇r

also ˌpre-

Synonyms of premature

: happening, arriving, existing, or performed before the proper, usual, or intended time

especially : born after a gestation period of less than 37 weeks

premature babies

premature noun

prematurely adverb

prematureness noun

prematurity

ˌprē-mə-ˈchu̇r-ə-tē

-ˈchər,

-ˈtu̇r-,

-ˈtyu̇r-

noun

prematureness

2 of 2

noun

pre·ma·ture·ness

plural -es

: the quality or state of being premature : prematurity

Examples of premature in a Sentence

Adjective Her premature death at age 30 stunned her family and friends. Too much exposure to the sun can cause the premature aging of skin.

Recent Examples on the Web

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Adjective

The 'Secretary Problem' illustrates how organizations often make premature hiring decisions, failing to adequately sample the candidate pool to establish proper benchmarks. — Alexander Puutio, Forbes.com, 28 Aug. 2026 Engineers often limit their performance to prevent damage or premature failure. — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 27 Aug. 2026 The high court majority found the initial Democratic lawsuit was premature, but that was before the Republican administration issued a rule governing Postal Service delivery of mail ballots. — Nicholas Riccardi, Los Angeles Times, 26 Aug. 2026 Attorneys representing the Texas Governor’s Office said the governor has not yet officially decided to deny or grant Minnesota’s extradition request and therefore the lawsuit is premature. — ABC News, 26 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for premature

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

Latin praematurus too early, from prae- + maturus ripe, mature

First Known Use

Adjective

circa 1529, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler

The first known use of premature was circa 1529

See more words from the same year

Browse Nearby Words

prematuration

premature

prematurely

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Premature.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/premature. Accessed 31 Aug. 2026.

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Kids Definition

premature

adjective

pre·ma·ture ˌprē-mə-ˈt(y)u̇(ə)r -ˈchu̇(ə)r

: happening, coming, existing, or done before the proper or usual time

especially : born after a period of pregnancy of less than 37 weeks

premature babies

prematurely adverb

prematurity

-ˈt(y)u̇r-ət-ē -ˈchu̇r-

noun

Medical Definition

premature

1 of 2 adjective

pre·ma·ture

-mə-ˈt(y)u̇(ə)r, -ˈchu̇(ə)r, chiefly British ˌprem-ə-

: happening, arriving, existing, or performed before the proper, usual, or intended time

premature puberty

premature aging

especially : born after a gestation period of less than 37 weeks

premature babies

prematurely adverb

premature

2 of 2 noun

: preemie

premature

adjective

noun

Synonyms of premature

Examples of premature in a Sentence

Word History

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Kids Definition

Medical Definition

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premature

adjective

noun

Synonyms of premature

Examples of premature in a Sentence

Word History

Rhymes for premature

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Kids Definition

Medical Definition

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