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
Lucas’ challenge was therefore premature, the court found.
—
Kacen Bayless, Kansas City Star, 4 June 2024
As for why the Mediterranean diet seemed to protect against premature death, the most influential factor — among the roughly 40 biomarkers the researchers could test — was a group of metabolites that appeared to explain 14.8% of the benefit.
—Karen Kaplan, Los Angeles Times, 31 May 2024
Despite these issues, the mission showed significant progress compared to the first two integrated flight tests, both of which ended with premature explosions.
—George Dvorsky / Gizmodo, Quartz, 31 May 2024
The move is considered premature by the United States and most other European countries.
—Sophie Hills, The Christian Science Monitor, 24 May 2024
See all Example Sentences for premature 
Kacen Bayless, Kansas City Star, 4 June 2024
As for why the Mediterranean diet seemed to protect against premature death, the most influential factor — among the roughly 40 biomarkers the researchers could test — was a group of metabolites that appeared to explain 14.8% of the benefit.
—Karen Kaplan, Los Angeles Times, 31 May 2024
Despite these issues, the mission showed significant progress compared to the first two integrated flight tests, both of which ended with premature explosions.
—George Dvorsky / Gizmodo, Quartz, 31 May 2024
The move is considered premature by the United States and most other European countries.
—Sophie Hills, The Christian Science Monitor, 24 May 2024
See all Example Sentences for premature
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 8 Jun. 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
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share