prefab
Americanadjective
noun
verb (used with object)
noun
Etymology
Origin of prefab
First recorded in 1935–40; by shortening
Explanation
Prefab is short for “prefabricated,” which means “made beforehand,” and not “before fabulous.” Prefab things are made in sections that can be easily shipped and put together to form a finished product. Some buildings and houses are prefab. Prefab can be used as a noun or adjective. When you talk about a cool prefab you saw downtown, you mean a prefabricated building, one that was built from parts that were shipped and quickly assembled. Prefab shelters have been made from converted shipping containers. Some furniture is sold this way, too, like a prefab bookshelf in flat box that contain sections you can take home and put together easily. Or so say the directions.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Paules tries to keep track of prefab projects in both Altadena and the Palisades and senses tremendous momentum.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 7, 2026
“There was a lot of confusion about prefab housing in general. People had a mental image of it. People didn’t know how the quality stacked up.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 7, 2026
It moved inland in 1910, moved again a few years later, and then in the mid-1930s moved into a purpose-built building in Baldwin Hills, one designed by the renowned architect Richard Neutra with prefab walls.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 22, 2026
Their prefab design has managed to avoid plastics except, like Cirino's house, in plumbing.
From BBC ● Mar. 16, 2026
The Chinese kids would hang out next to the prefab buildings.
From "Born a Crime: Stories from a South African Childhood" by Trevor Noah
“Why would anyone want a prefabbed home?” one user wrote.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 27, 2025
He has promised to keep his mind open and to maximize the pick’s value, but he also has repeatedly hinted at a prefabbed plan.
From Washington Post ● Apr. 20, 2020
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
