prequel

noun

pre·​quel ˈprē-kwəl 

: a work (such as a novel or a play) whose story precedes that of an earlier work

… the real payoff will be for the next Star Wars, an expected prequel to the previous three movies.

—Laurence Hooper

Examples of prequel in a Sentence

His next film will be a prequel to last year's hit movie.

Recent Examples on the Web

In Hollywood, where top-grossing films are now almost always prequels, sequels, reboots, or based on existing IP, AI video carries an immense opportunity. —Sunny Dhillon, Fortune, 14 Nov. 2025

Today, a new French HBO Original series hits HBO Max, The Seduction, a period drama which serves as a prequel to and follows Isabelle de Merteuil's rise to power. —Billie Melissa, MSNBC Newsweek, 14 Nov. 2025

Well, Metcalf played Sheldon's mom, Mary Cooper, on the hit sitcom The Big Bang Theory, and Zoey Perry took on the same role, only in the prequel, Young Sheldon. —Andrea Wurzburger, PEOPLE, 11 Nov. 2025

Withholding Pennywise from the first half of the prequel is a strategic move, Fuchs and Kane agree. —Katie Campione, Deadline, 9 Nov. 2025

Word History

Etymology

pre- + -quel (as in sequel)

First Known Use

1922, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for prequel

• equal
• sequel
• coequal
• subequal
• unequal