Immature

Part of speech: adjective

Pronunciation: /ɪməˈtjʊə(ɹ)/

Definitions

1. Being in a state that does not reflect the full development expected for a certain age or level, often marked by a lack of emotional or cognitive maturity and naïve behaviors
2. In an early or incomplete stage of growth or mental progress ; characterized by actions or thoughts that reveal a lack of sophistication or maturity
3. Having abilities or qualities that have not yet fully formed physically or mentally ; acting in ways that suggest insufficient emotional control or understanding

Etymology: "Immature" is a straightforward formation: the prefix "im-", meaning "not", attached to "mature". The base word "mature" comes from Latin "maturus", meaning ripe or timely, and it entered English through French. The negating prefix is Latin too, so the whole word is a Latin-based pairing, but the sense of "not yet ripe" is older than the Latin borrowing in one important way. English already had its own word for the idea. Old English "unrīpe" meant "unripe" and could also mean "immature", and this native term was partly displaced when the French-derived "immature" arrived. The result is that the same idea of an unripe fruit being carried over into a description of a person or thing that has not finished growing.

Synonyms: unripe, undeveloped, inexperienced

Antonyms: mature, developed, experienced