prefigure
verb
pre·fig·ure
ˌprē-ˈfi-gyər 
especially British -ˈfi-gə
prefigured; prefiguring; prefigures
1
: to show, suggest, or announce by an antecedent type, image, or likeness
Her style of painting prefigured modern art.
2
: to picture or imagine beforehand
Examples of prefigure in a Sentence
His style of painting prefigured the development of modern art.
the first crocus traditionally prefigures the arrival of spring
Recent Examples on the Web
Tragedy strikes many times in this decades-spanning story, in many forms, but the defining event of Grainier’s life sees his home burned to the ground, an event that eerily prefigures the LA fires of early 2025.
—
Damon Wise, Deadline, 8 Nov. 2025
The dynamic prefigured the White House of Bush 43, which the Veep largely staffed, and substantially dominated.
—Karl Vick, Time, 4 Nov. 2025
These opulent volumes prefigure the label’s high jewelry offering.
—Sandra Salibian, Footwear News, 10 Oct. 2025
Your 2018 book, The Lies That Bind, seems to have prefigured the backlash against a certain way of talking about identity—as essential or at least fixed—that was prevalent in the 2010s.
—Lula Konner, The New York Review of Books, 4 Oct. 2025
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Damon Wise, Deadline, 8 Nov. 2025
The dynamic prefigured the White House of Bush 43, which the Veep largely staffed, and substantially dominated.
—Karl Vick, Time, 4 Nov. 2025
These opulent volumes prefigure the label’s high jewelry offering.
—Sandra Salibian, Footwear News, 10 Oct. 2025
Your 2018 book, The Lies That Bind, seems to have prefigured the backlash against a certain way of talking about identity—as essential or at least fixed—that was prevalent in the 2010s.
—Lula Konner, The New York Review of Books, 4 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for prefigure
Cite this Entry
“Prefigure.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/prefigure. Accessed 13 Nov. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
prefigure
verb
pre·fig·ure
(ˈ)prē-ˈfig-yər
especially British -ˈfig-ər
1
: to show, suggest, or announce by an earlier type, image, or likeness
the first crocus prefigures the arrival of spring
2
: to picture or imagine beforehand
prefigure the outcome of the game
prefiguration
noun
(ˌ)prē-ˌfig-(y)ə-ˈrā-shən
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