ENGLISH
REFERENCE

premature

adj.
B2 Upper Intermediate US //ˌpɹiməˈtʃʊɹ// UK //pɹɪmətʃˈɔː// pre·ma·ture Informal

adj. happening or done too early, before the right or expected time. You use it when someone makes a decision or a baby is born before they are fully ready.

adj. occurring, coming, or done before the usual or proper time; too early. Often used in medical contexts regarding birth or in general contexts regarding hasty conclusions.


SIMPLE

It is premature to celebrate before the final results arrive.

CONTEXTUAL

The doctor explained that the baby was premature but healthy despite arriving three weeks early.

COMPLEX

The board's decision to announce the merger was premature, as several key stakeholders had not yet reviewed the final financial disclosures or the proposed leadership structure.

Synonyms
Antonyms
Origin

From Latin praemātūrus, equivalent to pre- + mature. First use appears c. 1440 in a translation of Palladius's De Re Rustica.

Usage

Often follows a linking verb like 'be' or 'seem', or modifies a noun directly.

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