prequel

noun

pre·​quel ˈprē-kwəl How to pronounce prequel (audio)
: a work (such as a novel or a play) whose story precedes that of an earlier work

Examples of prequel in a Sentence

His next film will be a prequel to last year's hit movie.
Recent Examples on the Web On Thursday, Warner Bros. Pictures released the trailer for Furiosa, the Mad Max: Fury Road prequel directed by George Miller, that focuses on the journey of Imperator Furiosa (played by Anya Taylor-Joy) on her journey home. Tomás Mier, Rolling Stone, 1 Dec. 2023 Reaching back to the 2020 prequel novel by Suzanne Collins that the movie is based on, Zegler points out how clearly Appalachian Lucy was, and how her accent exists in that vernacular throughout the duration of the novel, something that was destined to carry over into the music. A.d. Amorosi, Variety, 1 Dec. 2023 The Furiosa prequel/spin-off was conceived even before Fury Road was made, with Miller and Lathouris writing a script that predated Fury Road filming. James Hibberd, The Hollywood Reporter, 30 Nov. 2023 See Their Similar Black Trenches Chalamet stopped on the carpet to open up about filming the movie, which serves as the prequel to Roald Dahl's 1964 children's book Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, and the challenges that came with it. Michelle Lee, Peoplemag, 29 Nov. 2023 The conclusion of Bob Hearts Abishola comes on the heels of announcing the pending ending, also this spring, of The Big Bang Theory prequel Young Sheldon, another Cuck Lorre production, after seven seasons. Marc Berman, Forbes, 29 Nov. 2023 So Ursula still harvests souls in this Maleficent-esque prequel? Emerald Fennell, Vulture, 26 Nov. 2023 Revisiting Panem, the dystopian country in which The Hunger Games novels and movies are set, in prequel film The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes offered director Francis Lawrence an opportunity to present the world through a new lens. Emily Zemler, Condé Nast Traveler, 17 Nov. 2023 Timothée Chalamet stars as the titular candy man in this whimsical prequel to Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. Eric Andersson, Peoplemag, 19 Nov. 2023 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'prequel.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

pre- + -quel (as in sequel)

First Known Use

1958, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of prequel was in 1958

Dictionary Entries Near prequel

Cite this Entry

“Prequel.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/prequel. Accessed 10 Dec. 2023.

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