Standard Lemma guide

prematurely

adv · 3 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.

  • /ˌpɹiːməˈtjʊə(ɹ)li/
  • /ˌpɹɛməˈtjʊə(ɹ)li/
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • CMU ARPABET: P R IY2 M AH0 CH UH1 R L IY0 Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

adv

Meaning 1

In a premature manner; too soon or too early.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • publish an obituary prematurely
  • prematurely rejected
  • prematurely sacked

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

adverb

Meaning 2

too soon; in a premature manner

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • I spoke prematurely

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: untimely

Antonyms: none provided

3

adverb

Meaning 3

(of childbirth) before the end of the normal period of gestation

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • the child was born prematurely

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

Etymology tree English premature Proto-Indo-European *leyg-der. Proto-Germanic *līkąder. Proto-Germanic *-līkaz Proto-Germanic *-ê Proto-Germanic *-līkê Proto-West Germanic *-līkē Old English -līċe Middle English -ly English -ly English prematurely From premature + -ly.

Across languages

Translations

24 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Catalan: prematurament — in a premature manner
  • Finnish: ennenaikaisesti — in a premature manner
  • French: prématurément — in a premature manner
  • Galician: prematuramente — in a premature manner
  • German: voreilig — in a premature manner
  • German: vorschnell — in a premature manner
  • German: vorzeitig — in a premature manner
  • German: zu früh — in a premature manner
  • German: prämatur (med.) — in a premature manner
  • Greek: πρόωρα (próora) — in a premature manner
  • Italian: prematuramente — in a premature manner
  • Polish: przedwcześnie — in a premature manner
  • Polish: awansem — in a premature manner
  • Portuguese: prematuramente — in a premature manner
  • Romanian: prea devreme — in a premature manner
  • Romanian: în mod prematur — in a premature manner
  • Romanian: înainte de vreme — in a premature manner
  • Russian: преждевре́менно (preždevrémenno) — in a premature manner
  • Spanish: prematuramente — in a premature manner
  • Swedish: i förtid — in a premature manner
  • Turkish: erken — in a premature manner
  • Turkish: erkenden — in a premature manner
  • Uyghur: بالدۇر (baldur) — in a premature manner
  • Volapük: tusuniko — in a premature manner