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prefect

or prae·fect

[ pree-fekt ]

noun

  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.


prefect

/ ˌpriːfɛkˈtɔːrɪəl; 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 calledprefect 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
“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


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Derived Forms

  • prefectorial, adjective
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Other Words From

  • sub·prefect noun
  • under·prefect noun
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Word History and Origins

Origin of prefect1

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” ( pre- ) + -fectus (combining form of factus, past participle of facere “to make, do” ( do 1 ); fact
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Word History and Origins

Origin of prefect1

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

Rich and smooth with a subtly bitter flavor, Guinness is a prefect drinking beer—and baking beer.

She was intimate with a prefect of Orne, who was the natural father of Emile Blondet.

He was chosen a prefect, and he married the wealthy widow of Comte de Montcornet, who offered him her hand when she became free.

With six of his companions he was brought before the prefect for refusing obedience to the imperial decree.

She would probably have favored him, had he not been made prefect and left the city.

But one day the prefect Agricola instituted a chase, and his party discovered the holy bishop and brought him before their master.

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