adj · noun · 7 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.
UK:/ˌpɹɛ.məˈtjʊə/
UK:/ˈpɹɛ.mə.tjə/
Southern-England:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
US:/ˌpɹi.məˈtʊɹ/
US:/ˌpɹi.məˈt͡ʃʊɹ/
CMU ARPABET:P R IY2 M AH0 CH UH1 R
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
adj
Meaning 1
Occurring before a state of readiness or maturity has arrived.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Examples
a premature birth
premature reports of the singer's death
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
2
adj
Meaning 2
Taking place earlier than anticipated, prepared for, or desired.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
3
adj
Meaning 3
Suffering from premature ejaculation.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: informal
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
4
noun
Meaning 4
An infant born prematurely.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
5
adjective
Meaning 5
born after a gestation period of less than the normal time
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
a premature infant
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: full-term
6
adjective satellite
Meaning 6
uncommonly early or before the expected time
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
illness led to his premature death
alcohol brought him to an untimely end
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: untimely
Antonyms: none provided
7
adjective satellite
Meaning 7
too soon or too hasty
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
our condemnation of him was a bit previous
a premature judgment
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: previous(p)
Antonyms: none provided
History
Etymology
From Latin praemātūrus, equivalent to pre- + mature. First use appears c. 1440 in a translation of Palladius's De Re Rustica.
Across languages
Translations
57 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Albanian:
parakohshëm
— occurring before a state of readiness or maturity
Belarusian:
перадча́сны
(pjeradčásny)
— occurring before a state of readiness or maturity
Belarusian:
заўча́сны
(zawčásny)
— occurring before a state of readiness or maturity
Belarusian:
дача́сны
(dačásny)
— occurring before a state of readiness or maturity
Bulgarian:
преждевре́менен
(preždevrémenen)
— occurring before a state of readiness or maturity
Catalan:
prematur
— occurring before a state of readiness or maturity
Chinese Mandarin:
過早的 /过早的
(guòzǎo de)
— occurring before a state of readiness or maturity
Chinese Mandarin:
先期的
(xiānqī de)
— occurring before a state of readiness or maturity
Czech:
předčasný
— occurring before a state of readiness or maturity
Dutch:
prematuur
— occurring before a state of readiness or maturity
Dutch:
voortijdig
— occurring before a state of readiness or maturity
Finnish:
ennenaikainen
— occurring before a state of readiness or maturity
French:
prématuré
— occurring before a state of readiness or maturity
German:
frühreif
— occurring before a state of readiness or maturity
Hebrew:
טרם לבגרות
(térem l'bagrút)
— occurring before a state of readiness or maturity
Indonesian:
prematur
— occurring before a state of readiness or maturity
Ingrian:
ennenaikain
— occurring before a state of readiness or maturity
Irish:
réamhaibí
— occurring before a state of readiness or maturity
Irish:
anabaí
— occurring before a state of readiness or maturity
Italian:
prematuro
— occurring before a state of readiness or maturity
Latin:
praecox
— occurring before a state of readiness or maturity
Latin:
praecoquus
— occurring before a state of readiness or maturity
Macedonian:
предвремен
(predvremen)
— occurring before a state of readiness or maturity
Manx:
neuappee
— occurring before a state of readiness or maturity
Maranao:
bakakaw
— occurring before a state of readiness or maturity
Polish:
przedwczesny
— occurring before a state of readiness or maturity
Portuguese:
prematuro
— occurring before a state of readiness or maturity
Romanian:
prematur
— occurring before a state of readiness or maturity
Russian:
преждевре́менный
(preždevrémennyj)
— occurring before a state of readiness or maturity
Slovak:
predčasný
— occurring before a state of readiness or maturity
Spanish:
prematuro
— occurring before a state of readiness or maturity
Ukrainian:
передча́сний
(peredčásnyj)
— occurring before a state of readiness or maturity
Ukrainian:
завча́сний
(zavčásnyj)
— occurring before a state of readiness or maturity
Ukrainian:
доча́сний
(dočásnyj)
— occurring before a state of readiness or maturity
Vietnamese:
yểu
— occurring before a state of readiness or maturity
Vietnamese:
non
— occurring before a state of readiness or maturity
Albanian:
parakohshëm
— taking place earlier than anticipated
Belarusian:
перадча́сны
(pjeradčásny)
— taking place earlier than anticipated
Bulgarian:
преждевре́менен
(preždevrémenen)
— taking place earlier than anticipated
Catalan:
prematur
— taking place earlier than anticipated
Chinese Mandarin:
過早的 /过早的
(guòzǎo de)
— taking place earlier than anticipated
Chinese Mandarin:
先期的
(xiānqī de)
— taking place earlier than anticipated
Czech:
předčasný
— taking place earlier than anticipated
Dutch:
voorbarig
— taking place earlier than anticipated
Dutch:
prematuur
— taking place earlier than anticipated
Finnish:
ennenaikainen
— taking place earlier than anticipated
French:
prématuré
— taking place earlier than anticipated
German:
vorzeitig
— taking place earlier than anticipated
German:
verfrüht
— taking place earlier than anticipated
Ingrian:
ennenaikain
— taking place earlier than anticipated
Irish:
roimh am
— taking place earlier than anticipated
Macedonian:
предвремен
(predvremen)
— taking place earlier than anticipated
Russian:
преждевре́менный
(preždevrémennyj)
— taking place earlier than anticipated
Slovak:
predčasný
— taking place earlier than anticipated
Spanish:
prematuro
— taking place earlier than anticipated
Ottoman Turkish:
اركن
(erken)
— taking place earlier than anticipated
Ukrainian:
передча́сний
(peredčásnyj)
— taking place earlier than anticipated
