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

Dornan spoke to L’Officiel (translated by Slash Film) about taking on the role and playing a younger version in the prequel. — Jordan Moreau, Variety, 28 Oct. 2026

The prequel offers an update on Katniss and Peeta after the Games. — Armando Tinoco, Deadline, 28 Oct. 2026

In the nearly two decades since, Gosling has, of course, been busy becoming one of the biggest movie stars on the planet, while Shields has worked extensively as a writer and producer (including the upcoming Weapons prequel, Gladys). — Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 27 Oct. 2026

The Paramount Network series starring Kevin Costner dominated TV for five seasons, and resulted in multiple prequels and spinoffs. — David Hookstead Outkick, FOXNews.com, 23 Oct. 2026

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