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
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of prefecture
From the Latin word praefectūra, dating back to 1570–80. See prefect, -ure
Vocabulary lists containing prefecture
East Asia - Middle School
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
East Asia - Introductory
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
East Asia - High School
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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:
The 7.1-magnitude quake struck the southwestern region of Kumamoto prefecture on Kyushu island on Tuesday afternoon, causing widespread damage, sparking fires and leaving tens of thousands of homes without power.
From Barron's ● Jul. 29, 2026
Investors are also closely watching any disruption to business operations following a major earthquake in the southern Japanese prefecture of Kumamoto.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 29, 2026
Shakeel Mohamed, 61, has been representing the Yashio mosque in Saitama prefecture for the past decade.
From BBC ● Jul. 27, 2026
In the late 1990s, scientists working in the Ajimu area of Oita prefecture, Japan, uncovered three fossilized vertebrae from a giant salamander in the Cryptobranchidae family.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 24, 2026
It was owned by people from Tochigi-ken prefecture who had done astoundingly well for themselves: the women among them wore silk crepe kimonos and scarlet, cork-soled slippers.
From "Snow Falling on Cedars: A Novel" by David Guterson
Japan has 826 game factories nationwide, but only a handful in northern prefectures hit hardest by attacks.
From Barron's ● Dec. 24, 2025
Last month, Hong Kong Airlines suspended all flights to the southern Japanese prefectures of Kagoshima and Kumamoto, citing low demand.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 8, 2025
For example, out of 47 Japanese prefectures, Okinawa ranks first on body mass index, second on beer consumption, and fourth on suicide rate among people over the age of 65.
From Science Magazine ● Nov. 20, 2024
Heavy rain was falling in Gifu and Mie prefectures on Saturday, as the Japan Meteorological Agency urged people "to remain vigilant for landslides, flooding and overflowing rivers".
From BBC ● Aug. 31, 2024
On the Sanriku Coast, which extends through Iwate and Miyagi prefectures, the shoreline zigzags in and out like the teeth of a saw.
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.
