prematurenessn.

1711 J. Dennis Ess. Publick Spirit 15 British Maids, who in the Times of our Henries were not held marriageable til turn'd of Twenty, are now become falling ripe at twelve, forc'd to Prematureness by the Heat of adventitious Fire.

1796 F. Hargrave in M. Hale Jurisdict. Lords House Pref. 181 [One] whose prematureness of fate..caused an almost unsuppliable interstice in the science of English equity.

1844 U.S. Mag. & Democratic Rev. June 634 By early maturity of genius we mean no prodigies of childish or boyish talent—such we always distrust, as unhealthy prematureness, generally resulting in a feeble manhood.

1883 A. Forbes in Fortn. Rev. 1 Nov. 671 What dealings he held with the enemy did not result in a prematureness of surrender.

1900 Amer. Naturalist 34 54 Realizing the prematureness of any present attempt at a chemical understanding of cell phenomena..Dr. L. Rhumbler has devoted himself to a most promising line of investigation.

1957 Science 1 Feb. 227/2 Prematureness is not necessarily indicated; one has only to consider the variability of the birth weight of the normal full-term human newborn.

1997 N.Y. Times (Nexis) 17 Aug. (Arts section) 29 Another phenomenon whose demise has been similarly celebrated in recent years, and perhaps with the same degree of prematureness: Socialism.