prequel

American  

[pree-kwuhl] / ˈpri kwəl /

noun

1. a literary, dramatic, or filmic work that prefigures a later work, as by portraying the same characters at a younger age.

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prequel British  

/ ˈpriːkwəl /

noun

1. a film or book about an earlier stage of a story or a character's life, released because the later part of it has already been successful

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Etymology

Origin of prequel

First recorded in 1970–75; pre- + (se)quel

Explanation

A prequel is an installment in a series of books or movies which describes action that occurred in the past, before the original. Monsters University, The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, and Star Wars: The Phantom Menace are famous film prequels. The word prequel is most often used for movies, along with sequel, the follow-up to the initial story. Filmmakers sometimes like to fill in background information with a prequel, though fans often complain that prequels don't live up to the original (think of the original Star Wars films and their prequels, for example). The earliest known use of prequel described a 1958 installment of a science fiction story, and the word was common by the 1970s.

Example Sentences

It’s available on Pluto TV’s lineup as well, along with its feature-length prequel “The Plan.”

From Salon • May 5, 2026

And if you can hold out for a month, Season 3 of the “Game of Thrones” prequel “House of the Dragon” is coming in June.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 30, 2026

Recognised for his role in the American supernatural series The Vampire Diaries, Obma also played the role of construction worker Adrian in the fourth and fifth seasons of Netflix's Breaking Bad prequel, Better Call Saul.

From BBC • Apr. 26, 2026

In 2019, HBO Max ordered a pilot for a prequel series, but the show was ultimately shelved.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 20, 2026

If it’s a prequel to Guy Ritchie’s steampunk-meets-MMA “Sherlock Holmes” of 2009, it might meet my expectations.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 3, 2026