prefect

American  

[pree-fekt] / ˈpri fɛkt /

Or praefect

noun

• prefects
  plural

1. a person appointed to any of various positions of command, authority, or superintendence, as a chief magistrate in ancient Rome or the chief administrative official of a department of France or Italy.

2. Roman Catholic Church.

   1. the dean of a Jesuit school or college.

   2. a cardinal in charge of a congregation in the Curia Romana.

3. Chiefly British. a praepostor.

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prefect British  

/ ˈpriːfɛkt /

noun

1. (in France, Italy, etc) the chief administrative officer in a department

2. (in France, etc) the head of a police force

3. a schoolchild appointed to a position of limited power over his fellows

4. (in ancient Rome) any of several magistrates or military commanders

5. Also called: prefect apostolic. RC Church an official having jurisdiction over a missionary district that has no ordinary

6. RC Church one of two senior masters in a Jesuit school or college (the prefect of studies and the prefect of discipline or first prefect )

7. RC Church a cardinal in charge of a congregation of the Curia

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• subprefect
  noun
• underprefect
  noun
• prefectorial
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• prefects
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of prefect

First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English, from Latin praefectus “overseer, director” (noun use of past participle of praeficere “to make prior,” i.e., “put in charge”), equivalent to prae- “before, prior to” ( see pre-) + -fectus (combining form of factus, past participle of facere “to make, do” ( see do ¹); see fact

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Explanation

A prefect is a chief officer or magistrate, originally in ancient Rome. Like a mayor or governor, a prefect is someone powerful: a chief officer or chief magistrate. In ancient Rome, a prefect was not only in charge of a city or province but of the military too, just as the United States President is the military commander-in-chief too. The term prefect is a little old-fashioned, but there are still prefects around today.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

prefect prefects

In Marseille, the prefect banned any protest or other gatherings from noon to 8 p.m.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 19, 2026

"A wild horde" had "deliberately" set fire to the 143-year-old building, said Maurice Barate, the prefect for the Haute-Vienne department.

From BBC ● Oct. 18, 2026

In Limoges, a town in central France known for its porcelain, up to 3,000 rioters swarmed the streets, according to Maurice Barate, the local prefect.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 18, 2026

On Sunday, Sophie Brocas, prefect of the French department of Gironde, said, "I urge tourists not to come," while advising those already there to consider an alternative destination.

From BBC ● Jul. 27, 2026

But I did not think it fair to avoid reporting the prefect and mark down the fifteen others, so I simply tore up my list and charged no one.

From "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela

"Tonight new curfews will be decided where the situation requires it. These decisions will be made on the ground, by the prefects, in coordination with the mayors," he said.

From Barron's ● Oct. 20, 2026

The government ordered prefects across the country to identify and protect the country’s most valuable works.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 13, 2025

One of Sir Keir Starmer’s ministers joked that around the cabinet table the PM seems a bit like a very committed headmaster gathering his prefects, ensuring they are all following his plans to the letter.

From BBC ● Jul. 20, 2024

It is the regional prefects who decide, on a case-by-case basis, whether threats necessitate an evacuation.

From Seattle Times ● Oct. 19, 2023

The only light now came from the silvery ghosts, who were drifting about talking seriously to the prefects, and the enchanted ceiling, which, like the sky outside, was scattered with stars.

From "Harry Potter And The Prisoner Of Azkaban" by J.K. Rowling

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