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

Legally Blonde prequel Elle is paying tribute to one of its stars. — Samantha Highfill, Entertainment Weekly, 1 July 2026

Austin Stowell stars as a young Gibbs in the prequel during his early days at Camp Pendleton. — Joe Otterson, Variety, 30 June 2026

Despite that, the prequel undermines Elle’s Legally Blonde character arc and, ultimately, fails to break new ground. — Olivia Singh, Forbes.com, 1 July 2026

Lee Isaac Chung was previously attached to direct the prequel before exiting amicably amid creative differences. — Ryan Gajewski, HollywoodReporter, 30 June 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