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
The critics are at best premature and at worst affirmatively misleading.
—
The Editors, National Review, 29 Apr. 2024
Seren Taylor, a lobbyist for the Personal Insurance Federation of California, a trade group, called the bill, at best, premature.
—Stephen Hobbs, Sacramento Bee, 25 Apr. 2024
In many cases, the pregnancy is lost anyway, such as premature rupture of her membranes in the 17th week of pregnancy, Prelogar said.
—USA TODAY, 24 Apr. 2024
The report revealed a stark rate of premature death for Indigenous people, who in several states — South Dakota, Wyoming, Montana, and North Dakota — had the highest premature death rates of any groups in any state, with deaths caused largely by conditions that were treatable.
—Usha Lee McFarling, STAT, 18 Apr. 2024
But their hope is that someday, technology like this will help humans survive extremely premature birth and avoid serious complications, such as blindness and permanent damage to lungs and brains.
—Rob Stein, NPR, 12 Apr. 2024
The war has caused miscarriages to triple, while stillbirths, premature deliveries, and postpartum depression are reportedly rising, according to the World Health Organization.
—Ghada Abdulfattah, The Christian Science Monitor, 10 Apr. 2024
The center has found a relationship between eviction and health and even premature death.
—Verónica Egui Brito, Miami Herald, 16 Apr. 2024
Nurses Taylor and Drew Deras doted on tiny and fragile baby Ella, one of their premature NICU patients who was born at 23 weeks, weighing just over a pound.
—Sydney Page, Washington Post, 12 Apr. 2024
The Editors, National Review, 29 Apr. 2024
Seren Taylor, a lobbyist for the Personal Insurance Federation of California, a trade group, called the bill, at best, premature.
—Stephen Hobbs, Sacramento Bee, 25 Apr. 2024
In many cases, the pregnancy is lost anyway, such as premature rupture of her membranes in the 17th week of pregnancy, Prelogar said.
—USA TODAY, 24 Apr. 2024
The report revealed a stark rate of premature death for Indigenous people, who in several states — South Dakota, Wyoming, Montana, and North Dakota — had the highest premature death rates of any groups in any state, with deaths caused largely by conditions that were treatable.
—Usha Lee McFarling, STAT, 18 Apr. 2024
But their hope is that someday, technology like this will help humans survive extremely premature birth and avoid serious complications, such as blindness and permanent damage to lungs and brains.
—Rob Stein, NPR, 12 Apr. 2024
The war has caused miscarriages to triple, while stillbirths, premature deliveries, and postpartum depression are reportedly rising, according to the World Health Organization.
—Ghada Abdulfattah, The Christian Science Monitor, 10 Apr. 2024
The center has found a relationship between eviction and health and even premature death.
—Verónica Egui Brito, Miami Herald, 16 Apr. 2024
Nurses Taylor and Drew Deras doted on tiny and fragile baby Ella, one of their premature NICU patients who was born at 23 weeks, weighing just over a pound.
—Sydney Page, Washington Post, 12 Apr. 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 2 May. 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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