prefect

or prae·fect

[ pree-fekt ]

/ ˈpri fɛkt /

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Definition of prefect

noun

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.

Roman Catholic Church.

the dean of a Jesuit school or college.
a cardinal in charge of a congregation in the Curia Romana.

Chiefly British. a praepostor.

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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 do¹); see fact

OTHER WORDS FROM prefect

sub·pre·fect, nounun·der·pre·fect, noun

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH prefect

perfect, prefect

Words nearby prefect

pref., prefab, prefabricate, preface, prefatory, prefect, prefect apostolic, prefectorial, prefecture, prefecture apostolic, prefer

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use prefect in a sentence

Rich and smooth with a subtly bitter flavor, Guinness is a prefect drinking beer—and baking beer.
What to Eat: St. Patrick's Day|Cookstr.com|March 16, 2010|DAILY BEAST
She was intimate with a prefect of Orne, who was the natural father of Emile Blondet.
Repertory Of The Comedie Humaine, Complete, A -- Z|Anatole Cerfberr and Jules Franois Christophe
He was chosen a prefect, and he married the wealthy widow of Comte de Montcornet, who offered him her hand when she became free.
Repertory Of The Comedie Humaine, Complete, A -- Z|Anatole Cerfberr and Jules Franois Christophe
With six of his companions he was brought before the prefect for refusing obedience to the imperial decree.
The Catacombs of Rome|William Henry Withrow

She would probably have favored him, had he not been made prefect and left the city.
Repertory Of The Comedie Humaine, Complete, A -- Z|Anatole Cerfberr and Jules Franois Christophe
But one day the prefect Agricola instituted a chase, and his party discovered the holy bishop and brought him before their master.
Mary, Help of Christians|Various

British Dictionary definitions for prefect

prefect

/ (ˈpriːfɛkt) /

noun

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

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

British a schoolchild appointed to a position of limited power over his fellows

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

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

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)

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

Also (for senses 4–7): praefect

Derived forms of prefect

prefectorial (ˌpriːfɛkˈtɔːrɪəl), adjective

Word Origin for prefect

C14: from Latin praefectus one put in charge, from praeficere to place in authority over, from prae before + facere to do, make

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012