English Reference
Adjective

precocious

adj.
C1 Advanced US /pɹiˈkoʊʃəs/ UK /pɹɪkˈəʊʃəs/ pre·co·cious

adj.having or showing more knowledge, skill, or maturity than people of your age usually have. You use this to describe a child who is very smart or an adult who acts younger than they are.

adj.possessing or exhibiting advanced knowledge, skill, or maturity beyond what is typical for one's age. Often used to describe children with exceptional intellectual development or adults who display childlike behavior.


SIMPLE

The precocious child could read at a very young age.

CONTEXTUAL

Her precocious nature allowed her to grasp complex scientific concepts that most of her peers found difficult.

COMPLEX

While some critics dismissed his precocious style as a mere imitation of older masters, others argued it represented a genuine breakthrough in modern art.

Over time, Gozo emerged as an option at right wing-back offering precocious confidence on the ball, capping his first full season with RSL with four goals and three assists in 1,810 minutes.

The Guardian· 18 Aug 2026

When Anselm discovered his proof, he was still a precocious young monk in the quiet of a monastery.

The New York Times· 23 Aug 2009

From Latin praecox (“premature, precocious, ripe before time, early ripe”), from praecoquō (“to ripen beforehand, ripen fully, also boil beforehand”), from prae (“before”) + coquō (“to cook, boil, ripen”). Doublet of apricot.

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

This entry
Level C1 · Advanced
Frequency Occasional
Updated