prefecture
Americannoun
noun
-
the office, position, or area of authority of a prefect
-
the official residence of a prefect in France, Italy, etc
Other Word Forms
- prefectural adjective
- subprefecture noun
Etymology
Origin of prefecture
From the Latin word praefectūra, dating back to 1570–80. See prefect, -ure
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.
The French maritime prefecture said the small boat was seen heading towards the beach at Gravelines at around 09:30 local time, where 30 migrants were waiting to board.
From BBC • Apr. 1, 2026
Chloe Jeffries, from the Gold Coast, was riding on a snowmobile with her mother in Hakuba Valley, Nagano prefecture, on Saturday when it overturned, trapping her underneath.
From BBC • Mar. 3, 2026
To find out, the researchers traveled to Jigokudani Snow Monkey Park in Nagano prefecture.
From Science Daily • Mar. 3, 2026
The Chinese vessel was spotted 102 miles from the coast of Japan’s Nagasaki prefecture on Thursday, Japan’s Fisheries Agency said Friday.
From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 13, 2026
On March 19, the Japanese health ministry reported that it had found radioactive iodine in cows’ milk from farms in Fukushima prefecture.
From "Meltdown" by Deirdre Langeland
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.
