premature

• POS: Adjective
• HYPHEN: prem=a=ture

CIDE DICTIONARY

premature, a. [L. praematurus; prae before + maturus ripe. See Mature.].

•  Mature or ripe before the proper time; as, the premature fruits of a hotbed.  [1913 Webster]
•  Happening, arriving, existing, or performed before the proper or usual time; adopted too soon; too early; untimely; as, a premature fall of snow; a premature birth; a premature opinion; premature decay.  [1913 Webster]
•  Arriving or received without due authentication or evidence; as, a premature report.  [1913 Webster]

OXFORD DICTIONARY

premature, adj.
1 a occurring or done before the usual or proper time; too early (a premature decision). b too hasty (must not be premature).
2 (of a baby, esp. a viable one) born (esp. three or more weeks) before the end of the full term of gestation.

Derivative

prematurely adv. prematureness n. prematurity n.

Etymology

L praematurus very early (as PRAE-, MATURE)

THESAURUS

premature

a bit previous, advanced, beforehand, early, far ahead, forward, green, half-baked, half-cocked, hasty, ill-considered, ill-seasoned, ill-timed, immature, improper, impulsive, inappropriate, inauspicious, inconvenient, inexpedient, infelicitous, inopportune, intempestive, intrusive, irrelevant, late, mal a propos, malapropos, mistimed, not firm, off base, out of line, out of phase, out of time, overhasty, oversoon, precipitate, precocious, previous, rushed, soon, too early, too late, too soon, unbefitting, uncrystallized, underdeveloped, undeveloped, unfavorable, unfit, unfitting, unfledged, unfortunate, unhandy, unhappy, unjelled, unlucky, unmatured, unmeditated, unpremeditated, unprepared, unpropitious, unready, unripe, unseasonable, unsuitable, untimely, untoward, wrong

ROGET THESAURUS

premature

Nonpreparation

N nonpreparation, non-preparation, absence of preparation, want of preparation, inculture, inconcoction, improvidence, immaturity, crudity, rawness, abortion, disqualification, nature, state of nature, virgin soil, unweeded garden, neglect, rough copy, germ, raw material, improvisation, unprepared (prepare), without preparation, incomplete, rudimental, embryonic, abortive, immature, unripe, kachcha, raw, green, crude, coarse, rough cast, rough hewn, in the rough, unhewn, unformed, unfashioned, unwrought, unlabored, unblown, uncooked, unboiled, unconcocted, unpolished, unhatched, unfledged, unnurtured, unlicked, untaught, uneducated, uncultivated, untrained, untutored, undrilled, unexercised, deckle- edged, precocious, premature, undigested, indigested, unmellowed, unseasoned, unleavened, unrehearsed, unscripted, extemporaneous, improvised, spontaneous, ad lib, ad libitem, fallow, unsown, untilled, natural, in a state of nature, undressed, in dishabille, en deshabille, unqualified, disqualified, unfitted, ill-digested, unbegun, unready, unarranged, unorganized, unfurnished, unprovided, unequipped, untrimmed, out of gear, out of order, dismantled, shiftless, improvident, unthrifty, thriftless, thoughtless, unguarded, happy-go- lucky, caught napping, unpremeditated, extempore.

Earliness

N earliness, morning, punctuality, promptitude, haste, suddenness, prematurity, precocity, precipitation, anticipation, a stitch in time, early, prime, forward, prompt, summary, premature, precipitate, precocious, prevenient, anticipatory, rath, sudden, unexpected, near, near at hand, immediate, early, soon, anon, betimes, rath, eft, eftsoons, ere long, before long, shortly, beforehand, prematurely, precipitately, too soon, before its time, before one's time, in anticipation, unexpectedly, suddenly, before one can say 'Jack Robinson', at short notice, extempore, on the spur of the moment, on the spur of the occasion, at once, on the spot, on the instant, at sight, offhand, out of hand, a' vue d'oeil, straight, straightway, straightforth, forthwith, incontinently, summarily, immediately, briefly, shortly, quickly, speedily, apace, before the ink is dry, almost immediately, presently at the first opportunity, in no long time, by and by, in a while, directly, no sooner said than done, immediately, if not sooner, tout vient a temps pour qui sait attendre.

Untimeliness

N untimeliness, intempestivity, unseasonableness, inexpedience, unsuitable time, improper time, unreasonableness, evil hour, contretemps, intrusion, anachronism, bad time, wrong time, inappropriate time, not the right occasion, unsuitable time, inopportune time, poor timing, ill-timed, mistimed, ill-fated, ill-omened, ill-starred, untimely, unseasonable, out of date, out of season, inopportune, timeless, intrusive, untoward, mal a propos, unlucky, inauspicious, infelicitous, unbefitting, unpropitious, unfortunate, unfavorable, unsuited, inexpedient, unpunctual, too late for, premature, too soon for, wise after the event, monday morning quarterbacking, twenty-twenty hindsight, inopportunely, as ill luck would have it, in an evil hour, the time having gone by, a day after the fair, after death the doctor, after meat mustard.