adjective
precocious
pruh-KOH-shuhs
adjective
1
Showing skills, knowledge, or maturity unusually early for one's age.
"The precocious six-year-old was already reading novels meant for teenagers."
"His precocious talent for chess earned him a place in adult tournaments."
How to Use Precocious
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishAdvanced beyond one's years — usually said of children who act, learn, or perform like someone much older.
Easily confused with
Common pairings
precocious child
precocious talent
precocious for her age
Word Forms
more precocious comparative, most precocious superlative
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Etymology
From Latin praecox, \"ripening early,\" from praecoquere, \"to ripen beforehand\" — literally related to cooking or ripening ahead of schedule. Surprisingly, "apricot" comes from the very same root.