preemie

noun

pree·​mie ˈprē-mē 

variants or less commonly premie

: a premature baby

Examples of preemie in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Celebrating special holidays are one way to boost the spirits of the preemies' parents, who are in the unit day in and day out as their little ones grow and gain strength, a hospital spokesperson said. — Arizona Republic, AZCentral.com, 2 July 2026

Pampers Swaddlers These tried-and-true diapers, available in preemie sizes—plus larger sizes for growing babes—are a must-have for life with a newborn. — Melissa Willets, Parents, 1 July 2026

Jennifer Reents-Dickkut, a proud mom, walked into the NICU at Saint Luke's Hospital in Kansas City more than two decades after giving birth to her preemie twin girls, Payton and Annika. — Kayla Grant, PEOPLE, 22 May 2026

McKenna works in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) with preemies and other babies needing special attention, while Mary Kate works in the mother-baby unit, supporting both mothers and newborns in the critical first hours after birth. — Nancy Badertscher, AJC.com, 6 May 2026

Word History

Etymology

premature + -ie

First Known Use

1927, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for preemie

• emmy
• jemmy
• remi
• semi

Medical Definition

preemie

noun

pree·​mie

variants or premie

ˈprē-mē 

: a baby born prematurely