premature
adjective
pre·ma·ture
ˌprē-mə-ˈchu̇r 
-ˈchər,
also -ˈtu̇r,
-ˈtyu̇r
also ˌpre-
: happening, arriving, existing, or performed before the proper, usual, or intended time
especially
: born after a gestation period of less than 37 weeks
premature babies
premature
noun
prematurely
adverb
prematureness
noun
Synonyms
Examples of premature in a Sentence
Her premature death at age 30 stunned her family and friends.
Too much exposure to the sun can cause the premature aging of skin.
Recent Examples on the Web
Sources familiar with the situation but not authorized to speak publicly said anything regarding James’ future at USC is premature.
—
Dan Woike, Los Angeles Times, 3 Apr. 2024
Murthy also emphasized that lacking social connection elevates the risk of premature death by more than 60%.
—Ryan MacAsero, The Mercury News, 3 Apr. 2024
The triplets were born with the same condition Ollie has: retinopathy of prematurity, a disease that occurs in premature babies and causes blindness.
—Caitlin Keating, Peoplemag, 30 Mar. 2024
Air pollution has been linked to a range of health effects, including poor birth outcomes and chronic respiratory and cardiovascular diseases as well as premature death.
—Jack Ewing, New York Times, 29 Mar. 2024
The seemingly premature departures of several high-profile committee chairs — not to mention former Speaker Kevin McCarthy — have left a leadership vacuum, particularly on the GOP side of the aisle.
—Nathaniel Rakich, ABC News, 25 Mar. 2024
Jameela was born several weeks premature via emergency C-section on Jan. 5.
—Harriet Ramos, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 22 Mar. 2024
Vivian, who was named after Allen’s mother, Vivian Ayers Allen, was born premature and weighed less than 4 lbs.
—Katie Mannion, Peoplemag, 16 Mar. 2024
But the furor over fuel emissions standards shows that prognostication was premature.
—Michael E. Miller, Washington Post, 13 Mar. 2024
Dan Woike, Los Angeles Times, 3 Apr. 2024
Murthy also emphasized that lacking social connection elevates the risk of premature death by more than 60%.
—Ryan MacAsero, The Mercury News, 3 Apr. 2024
The triplets were born with the same condition Ollie has: retinopathy of prematurity, a disease that occurs in premature babies and causes blindness.
—Caitlin Keating, Peoplemag, 30 Mar. 2024
Air pollution has been linked to a range of health effects, including poor birth outcomes and chronic respiratory and cardiovascular diseases as well as premature death.
—Jack Ewing, New York Times, 29 Mar. 2024
The seemingly premature departures of several high-profile committee chairs — not to mention former Speaker Kevin McCarthy — have left a leadership vacuum, particularly on the GOP side of the aisle.
—Nathaniel Rakich, ABC News, 25 Mar. 2024
Jameela was born several weeks premature via emergency C-section on Jan. 5.
—Harriet Ramos, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 22 Mar. 2024
Vivian, who was named after Allen’s mother, Vivian Ayers Allen, was born premature and weighed less than 4 lbs.
—Katie Mannion, Peoplemag, 16 Mar. 2024
But the furor over fuel emissions standards shows that prognostication was premature.
—Michael E. Miller, Washington Post, 13 Mar. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'premature.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near premature
Cite this Entry
“Premature.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/premature. Accessed 18 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
premature
adjective
pre·ma·ture
ˌprē-mə-ˈt(y)u̇(ə)r
-ˈchu̇(ə)r
-ˈchu̇(ə)r
: happening, coming, existing, or done before the proper or usual time
especially
: born after a period of pregnancy of less than 37 weeks
premature babies
prematurely
adverb
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