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

The series is Hannibal, what once seemed like a rather poor idea, an attempt to adapt a prequel to an Oscar-winning, all-time classic film for television. — Paul Tassi, Forbes.com, 29 July 2026

Wet Hot American Summer has since endured as a comedy classic, inspiring both a prequel and a sequel series on Netflix while anticipating the improv-heavy comedy boom associated with Judd Apatow in the 2000s. — Jesse Hassenger, Entertainment Weekly, 27 July 2026

Over the next two decades, the series grew into a sprawling franchise that included prequels, Wolverine spinoffs, the Deadpool films and acclaimed standalone entries such as Logan. — Lily Brown, PEOPLE, 26 July 2026

The Mad King is a stage prequel that, according to its official synopsis, is set in Harrenhal as a long winter begins to thaw. — Greg Evans, Deadline, 25 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