: 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
Wicked was originally created as a prequel to the 1939 film The Wizard of Oz, which starred Judy Garland.
—Caroline Blair, PEOPLE, 28 Nov. 2025
Finally, with all the Wicked-mania right now, everybody wants to ask about the possibility for sequels, prequels or side roads.
—Chris Willman, Variety, 27 Nov. 2025
The dystopian drama, an adaptation of Collins' prequel on Katniss Everdeen's mentor Haymitch Abernathy, is set 24 years before the events of the series' first book during the 50th Hunger Games, a special Quarter Quell that occurs every 25 years.
—Anika Reed, USA Today, 27 Nov. 2025
Next up for the 27-year-old actress is Sunrise on the Reaping, a prequel to the Hunger Games franchise.
—Sezin Devi Koehler, Entertainment Weekly, 26 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for prequel
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Caroline Blair, PEOPLE, 28 Nov. 2025
Finally, with all the Wicked-mania right now, everybody wants to ask about the possibility for sequels, prequels or side roads.
—Chris Willman, Variety, 27 Nov. 2025
The dystopian drama, an adaptation of Collins' prequel on Katniss Everdeen's mentor Haymitch Abernathy, is set 24 years before the events of the series' first book during the 50th Hunger Games, a special Quarter Quell that occurs every 25 years.
—Anika Reed, USA Today, 27 Nov. 2025
Next up for the 27-year-old actress is Sunrise on the Reaping, a prequel to the Hunger Games franchise.
—Sezin Devi Koehler, Entertainment Weekly, 26 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 1 Dec. 2025.
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