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

Has has four career Emmys for the landmark AMC drama Breaking Bad, including back-to-back Outstanding Drama Series wins in 2013 and 2014, and its prequel Better Call Saul earned 53 Emmy noms during its six-season run but never won. — Erik Pedersen, Deadline, 22 July 2026

The Rings of Power is one notable exception, as the cast of the streaming prequel features significant diversity across racial and gender lines. — Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 16 July 2026

While his work on Big Little Lies aired on HBO, Iain was cast as the titular character on the spinoff prequel in March 2017, per Deadline. — Christopher Rudolph, PEOPLE, 15 July 2026

Safran will return to produce the prequel, with John Rickard, Natalia Safran, and Romel Adam serving as executive producers. — Rebecca Rubin, Variety, 14 July 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