Adjective

(en adjective)

Characterized by exceptionally early development or maturity.

* {{quote-news, year=2014

, date=November 14 , author=Stephen Halliday , title=Scotland 1-0 Republic of Ireland: Maloney the hero , work=The Scotsman citation , page= , passage=Scotland’s most encouraging early source of an attacking threat was Andrew Robertson as the precocious left-back charged forward to good effect on a couple of occasions. }}

*

Both groups, also, have already evolved precocious (intracapsular) spore germination.

Exhibiting advanced skills at an abnormally early age.

The precocious child began reading the newspaper at age four.

Adjective

(en adjective)

Of high value or worth, or seemingly regarded as such.

* {{quote-magazine, date=2013-08-16, author=(Polly Toynbee)

, volume=189, issue=10, page=21, magazine=(The Guardian Weekly) , title= Britain's booming birthrate , passage=People are a good thing, the most precious resource in a rich economy, so the progressive-minded feel. Only misanthropists disagree or the dottier Malthusians who send green-ink tweets deploring any state assistance for child-rearing.}}

Regarded with love or tenderness.

(pejorative) Treated with too much reverence.

(pejorative) Contrived to be cute or charming.

* {{quote-news, year=2012, date=May 24, author=Nathan Rabin, work=The Onion AV Club

, title= Film: Reviews: Men In Black 3 , passage=In the abstract, Stuhlbarg’s twinkly-eyed sidekick suggests Joe Pesci in Lethal Weapon 2 by way of late-period Robin Williams with an alien twist, but Stuhlbarg makes a character that easily could have come across as precious into a surprisingly palatable, even charming man.}}