Origin: Latin suffix -ure
Premature has 5 different meanings across 1 category:
an infant born prematurely
"The premature baby was wrapped in warm blankets immediately after being delivered."
In plain English: A premature noun is something that happens too early before it is ready to occur naturally.
"The premature baby was born two weeks early and needed special care in the hospital."
occurring before a state of readiness or maturity has arrived
"The premature harvest caused many apples to rot because they were picked too early and not yet ready to eat."
In plain English: Premature means happening before it is ready or expected to happen.
"The baby was born premature, so he had to stay in the hospital for extra care."
Usage: Use premature to describe events, actions, or biological developments that happen too early because the necessary conditions have not yet been met. Avoid confusing it with "early," which simply indicates time without implying a lack of readiness.
The word comes from the Latin praemātūrus, which combines pre- and mature. Its first recorded use dates to around 1440 in an English translation of Palladius's agricultural guide.