Synonyms of prologue

prologue

noun

ˈprō-ˌlȯg 

variants also prolog

1

as in prelude

a performance, activity, or event that precedes and sets the stage for the main event

unfortunately, the burglary, which he committed while still a teen, was but a prologue to a wasted life of crime

Synonyms & Similar Words

• prelude
• preliminary
• overture
• preamble
• curtain-raiser
• warm-up
• lead-in
• countdown
• start
• kickoff
• run-up

2

as in introduction

a short section (as of a book) that leads to or explains the main part

a brief prologue sets the scene for the story that follows

Synonyms & Similar Words

• introduction
• preface
• foreword
• intro
• prelude
• preamble
• exordium
• proem
• beginning
• prolusion
• start
• initiation
• outset
• commencement
• opening
• origin
• origination

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• epilogue
• postscript
• aftermath
• end
• conclusion
• closing
• finale
• finish
• termination
• close
• envoi
• stop
• cessation

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of prologue

Costly defeats If past is prologue, Democratic insiders are right to be concerned. — David M. Drucker, Mercury News, 15 July 2026

If past is prologue, these homes will still cost at least a half a million dollars to build. — Wayne Winegarden, Oc Register, 9 July 2026

Nicks later wrote a prologue poem for Swift's 2024 The Tortured Poets Department album and has praised Kelce. — Shania Russell, Entertainment Weekly, 4 July 2026

But the extent to which the past is prologue is uncertain. — Howard Lee, ArsTechnica, 26 June 2026