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Added 8 October 2026

premature

/ˌpɹɛ.məˈtjʊə/ adjective

In Latin: praecox, praecoquus Wiktionary

adjective Definition from WordNet 3.1, Princeton University. Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about premature at Wordnik → Where our words come from →

Born after a gestation period of less than the normal time.
a premature infant
Too soon or too hasty.
our condemnation of him was a bit previous
Uncommonly early or before the expected time.
illness led to his premature death

Origin

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

From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)

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