premature

adjective

ˌprē-mə-ˈchu̇r How to pronounce premature (audio)
Definition of prematurenext
as in early
occurring before the usual or expected time his premature arrival at his own surprise party almost ruined everything

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of premature Engineers often limit their performance to prevent damage or premature failure. — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 27 Aug. 2026 The high court majority found the initial Democratic lawsuit was premature, but that was before the Republican administration issued a rule governing Postal Service delivery of mail ballots. — Nicholas Riccardi, Los Angeles Times, 26 Aug. 2026 Attorneys representing the Texas Governor’s Office said the governor has not yet officially decided to deny or grant Minnesota’s extradition request and therefore the lawsuit is premature. — ABC News, 26 Aug. 2026 What began as a support group has grown into a national nonprofit that provides education, care packages, family resources and long-term guidance for Black families who welcome premature babies. — Cathie Anderson, Sacbee.com, 26 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for premature
Recent Examples of Synonyms for premature
  1. early
  2. untimely
  3. unexpected
  4. sudden
  5. precocious
  6. inopportune
Adjective
  • Another day, another millennial-nostalgia-baiting sequel to a classic late 1990s or early 2000s movie.
    — Lauren O’Neill, Vogue, 29 Aug. 2026
  • But shortstop Colson Montgomery provided early offense with a three-run home run as part of a four-run first inning.
    — LaMond Pope, Chicago Tribune, 29 Aug. 2026
Definition of early
Adjective
  • Their family heritage dictates that any man an Owens woman truly loves will die an untimely death.
    — Raechal Shewfelt, Entertainment Weekly, 27 Aug. 2026
  • Letter writer finds even the relationship with other siblings hard to manage after sister’s untimely death.
    — Carolyn Hax, Washington Post, 23 Aug. 2026
Definition of untimely
Adjective
  • This move was not entirely unexpected, as Bezos hinted at the possibility during an interview with CNBC back in May.
    — , CNBC, 28 Aug. 2026
  • Home insurance covers your home and belongings from unexpected events like fire, theft or natural disasters.
    — Alora Bopray, USA Today, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of unexpected
Adjective
  • Officials are still investigating the exact cause, though preliminary assessments suggest an ice avalanche may have blocked a river upstream in Tibet, triggering the sudden outburst flood.
    — Anthony Robledo, USA Today, 28 Aug. 2026
  • The concierge can be contacted via WhatsApp, but response times can be slow during varying rush hours; for example, a sudden tropical rainstorm might inspire half the resort to call in for room service.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of sudden
Adjective
  • Espada inserted him in place of Cam Smith, the precocious young talent still struggling to harness consistency at the major-league level.
    — Chandler Rome, New York Times, 31 Aug. 2026
  • Rota was a precocious musical talent who studied with Ildebrando Pizzetti, Alfredo Casella and Rosario Scalero before turning his attention to cinema.
    — SPIN Staff, SPIN, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of precocious
Adjective
  • The accusation comes at an inopportune time, when Microsoft is trying to optimize Windows 11 for 8GB of RAM and PC makers are developing less expensive hardware to compete with Apple’s MacBook Neo.
    — Chris Hoffman, PC Magazine, 19 Aug. 2026
  • Getty Images The Philadelphia Phillies are in the final days before the MLB trade deadline searching for answers to an offense that has stalled at an inopportune time.
    — Peter Chawaga, Forbes.com, 29 July 2026
Definition of inopportune

Browse Nearby Words

premarital
premature
prematurely
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Cite this Entry

“Premature.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/premature. Accessed 2 Sep. 2026.

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