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 prequel, often referred to as Kildare, is based on a concept the trio had been noodling with for a couple of years; Jonas Pate had mentioned it in 2023 and 2024 interviews with Wilmington’s Port City Daily. — Nellie Andreeva, Deadline, 19 Aug. 2026

There are many factors here, ranging from Hollywood strikes to international filming to also doing a prequel to, perhaps mainly, A-lister Chris Pratt’s exceptionally busy schedule. — Paul Tassi, Forbes.com, 17 Aug. 2026

Even sequels and prequels — say, those in the Star Wars canon — ideally aspire to a degree of self-sufficiency in which the audience can discern the story and, properly bewitched, can proceed to seek out the other movies. — Peter Tonguette, The Washington Examiner, 15 Aug. 2026

Better yet, imagine being Toussaint, one of the most stalwart cast members of the Game of Thrones prequel, inhabiting that ride. — Josh Wigler, HollywoodReporter, 13 Aug. 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