prefect

noun

pre·​fect ˈprē-ˌfekt How to pronounce prefect (audio)
1
: any of various high officials or magistrates of differing functions and ranks in ancient Rome
2
: a chief officer or chief magistrate
3
: a student monitor in a usually private school

Examples of prefect in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Preeti Panigrahi received a Special Jury Award for lead actor for her portrayal of book-smart Mira — the first female prefect in the school’s history. Randy Myers, The Mercury News, 19 Sep. 2024 In the mid-1800s, Georges-Eugene Haussmann — Napoleon’s prefect of the Seine — helped usher in the city’s modern sewer system as part of an immense redevelopment effort that saw the leveling of thousands of old structures to make way for Paris’ trademark sweep of broad boulevards. Laura King, Los Angeles Times, 16 July 2024 Last month, the Paris region prefect, Marc Guillaume, told Franceinfo radio that the cleaning plan was taking longer than expected due to unusually heavy rainfall in the spring, but organizers remained confident that Olympic athletes would be able to swim in the river. Julen Chavin, CNN, 10 July 2024 The Indian community of Latina will take to the streets on June 25 to take part in a demonstration in memory of Singh, and will deliver an open letter to the prefect of Latina, Maurizio Falco calling for action and denunciation of the incident, according to RAI. Sharon Braithwaite, CNN, 21 June 2024 See all Example Sentences for prefect 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'prefect.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Anglo-French, from Latin praefectus, from past participle of praeficere to place at the head of, from prae- + facere to make — more at do

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of prefect was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near prefect

Cite this Entry

“Prefect.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/prefect. Accessed 31 Oct. 2024.

Kids Definition

prefect

noun
pre·​fect ˈprē-ˌfekt How to pronounce prefect (audio)
1
: a high official or judge (as of ancient Rome or France)
2
: a student assistant in some schools

More from Merriam-Webster on prefect

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