prequel

[pree-kwuh l]

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR prequel ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

a literary, dramatic, or filmic work that prefigures a later work, as by portraying the same characters at a younger age.

Origin of prequel

First recorded in 1970–75; pre- + (se)quel

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Related Words for prequel

creator, pioneer, vanguard, avant-garde, discoverer, trailblazer, groundbreaker, trendsetter

Examples from the Web for prequel

Contemporary Examples of prequel

Only one other Star Wars film has earned a PG-13 rating, the 2005 prequel Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith.
Juiciest ‘Star Wars: The Force Awakens’ Rumors (and Some Debunked Ones)
Rich Goldstein
January 3, 2015
But David Simon said, ‘It can’t be a sequel, it has to be a prequel.
Dominic West Talks ‘The Wire’ Movie, Prince Harry, and Why He’s Opposed to Scottish Independence
Marlow Stern
September 16, 2014
This lawsuit is like a horrible sequel—or possibly a prequel, depending on timing—to the upcoming Benghazi hearings.
Obama Should Counter John Boehner’s Lawsuit—and Here’s How He Can Do It
Dean Obeidallah
July 9, 2014
The missing part of the story—the prequel, if you will—begins like this.
How Pfizer Helped Make ‘Spice,’ The Deadly Fake Pot
Abby Haglage
May 17, 2014
But if I had a really great way to do it, I would do maybe a prequel.
David Chase Can’t Escape ‘The Sopranos’ Finale
Alex Suskind
May 1, 2014

British Dictionary definitions for prequel

prequel

noun

a film or book about an earlier stage of a story or a character's life, released because the later part of it has already been successful

Word Origin for prequel

C20: from pre- + (se) quel

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

Word Origin and History for prequel

1973, from pre-, based on sequel (n.).