: 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
Laurence HooperExamples of prequel in a Sentence
His next film will be a prequel to last year's hit movie.
Recent Examples on the Web
The prequel, scheduled to start production in Thailand in early 2026, is set during the Vietnam War and will explore the formative experiences that shaped the Rambo action hero made famous by Sylvester Stallone in the 1980s.
—Etan Vlessing, HollywoodReporter, 5 Nov. 2025
His Hollywood breakout was George Lucas’s Star Wars prequels.
—Zac Ntim, Deadline, 4 Nov. 2025
That shouldn't come as much of a surprise, though, given that the drama's co-creator is Taylor Sheridan, the celebrated writer and producer known for shows such as Yellowstone, its prequels 1883 and 1923, and Mayor of Kingstown.
—Randall Colburn, Entertainment Weekly, 4 Nov. 2025
But being a prequel (and technically an interquel, too) doesn’t mean that there aren’t surprises in store.
—Christopher Cruz, Rolling Stone, 4 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for prequel
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Etan Vlessing, HollywoodReporter, 5 Nov. 2025
His Hollywood breakout was George Lucas’s Star Wars prequels.
—Zac Ntim, Deadline, 4 Nov. 2025
That shouldn't come as much of a surprise, though, given that the drama's co-creator is Taylor Sheridan, the celebrated writer and producer known for shows such as Yellowstone, its prequels 1883 and 1923, and Mayor of Kingstown.
—Randall Colburn, Entertainment Weekly, 4 Nov. 2025
But being a prequel (and technically an interquel, too) doesn’t mean that there aren’t surprises in store.
—Christopher Cruz, Rolling Stone, 4 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for prequel
Cite this Entry
“Prequel.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/prequel. Accessed 11 Nov. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share