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
Nichushkin submarined the past two playoff runs, sent home during a first-round exit to Seattle in 2023 and banned hours before the puck dropped in Game 4 of the club’s second-round series against Dallas, leading to another premature elimination.
—
Troy Renck, The Denver Post, 15 Nov. 2024
Walking back the Beth idea and positioning John as the main (only) target feels like a retcon, or at least an event moved several episodes up due to Costner’s premature exit.
—Ben Rosenstock, Vulture, 11 Nov. 2024
By then, the IRA would also sharply reduce levels of small inhalable particles, preventing up to 4,500 premature deaths, 119,000 asthma attacks, and about 179,000 cases of respiratory symptoms and bronchitis, plus thousands of hospital admissions and respiratory ER visits every year.
—Frederica Perera, Scientific American, 31 Oct. 2024
White gloves that once belonged to Kenneth Sawyer Goodman, a playwright whose premature death inspired his parents to found the Goodman Theatre.
—Hannah Edgar, Chicago Tribune, 31 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for premature 
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Troy Renck, The Denver Post, 15 Nov. 2024
Walking back the Beth idea and positioning John as the main (only) target feels like a retcon, or at least an event moved several episodes up due to Costner’s premature exit.
—Ben Rosenstock, Vulture, 11 Nov. 2024
By then, the IRA would also sharply reduce levels of small inhalable particles, preventing up to 4,500 premature deaths, 119,000 asthma attacks, and about 179,000 cases of respiratory symptoms and bronchitis, plus thousands of hospital admissions and respiratory ER visits every year.
—Frederica Perera, Scientific American, 31 Oct. 2024
White gloves that once belonged to Kenneth Sawyer Goodman, a playwright whose premature death inspired his parents to found the Goodman Theatre.
—Hannah Edgar, Chicago Tribune, 31 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for premature
Dictionary Entries Near premature
Cite this Entry
“Premature.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/premature. Accessed 26 Nov. 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