premature
adjectivenounattested in dialogue
- United Kingdom//ˌpɹɛ.məˈtjʊə//
- United Kingdom//ˈpɹɛ.mə.tjə//
- United States//ˌpɹi.məˈtʊɹ//
- United States//ˌpɹi.məˈt͡ʃʊɹ//
Occurring before a state of readiness or maturity has arrived.
adjective
- 1
Occurring before a state of readiness or maturity has arrived.
a premature birth
premature reports of the singer's death
Secondly, technical development must have reached an advanced stage: communism in a premature state would only be generalized poverty.
- 2
Taking place earlier than anticipated, prepared for, or desired.
I was lost in reveries of death, and the idea of premature burial held continual possession of my brain.
- 3
informalSuffering from premature ejaculation.
Etymology
From Latin praemātūrus, equivalent to pre- + mature. First use appears c. 1440 in a translation of Palladius's De Re Rustica.
noun
- 1
An infant born prematurely.
Forms
- plural
- prematures
- comparative
- more premature
- superlative
- most premature
premature · Occurring before a state of readiness or maturity has arrived.
premeditated · Planned, considered, or estimated in advance; deliberate.premier · Foremost; first or highest in quality or degree.premiere · The first showing of a film, play or other form of…