prefect

B2 Topic:Education & Learning

US /ˈpɹiːfɛkt/ See IPA manual

Freq #14616

Meanings

1

noun
An older school pupil given authority over other students.

As a prefect, she was responsible for keeping order in the corridors.
2

noun
A senior government or administrative official, especially in France or ancient Rome.

The prefect of police gave a statement to reporters.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

2 noun · a senior government or... provost

Word family

Forms prefects

Derived forms perfectibilityprefecthoodprefectshipsubprefectunderprefect

Related forms prefecture

Etymology

From Middle English prefect and prefecte, from Old French prefect (Mod. French préfet), from Latin praefectus (“one placed in charge, overseer, director, prefect”), from praeficere (“to place in charge”).

*dʰeh₁- Proto-Indo-European prefect Middle English praefectus Latin

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Education & Learning

External links

# prefect

**Type:** Word
**Level:** B2
**Part of speech:** noun
**IPA (US):** /ˈpɹiːfɛkt/
**Frequency rank:** 14616

## Meanings
1. An older school pupil given authority over other students.
2. A senior government or administrative official, especially in France or ancient Rome.

## Examples
- As a prefect, she was responsible for keeping order in the corridors.
- The prefect of police gave a statement to reporters.

## Derived Forms
- perfectibility
- prefecthood
- prefectship
- subprefect
- underprefect

## Related Forms
- prefecture

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: *dʰeh₁-
- Root: prefect
- Root: praefectus

## Etymology
From Middle English prefect and prefecte, from Old French prefect (Mod. French préfet), from Latin praefectus (“one placed in charge, overseer, director, prefect”), from praeficere (“to place in charge”).

## AI Etymology
Prefect comes from Middle English prefect and prefecte, from Old French prefect (Mod. French préfet), from Latin praefectus (“one placed in charge, overseer, director, prefect”), from praeficere (“to place in charge”). The historical chain includes *dʰeh₁- (Proto-Indo-European), prefect (Middle English), prefect (Old French), praefectus (Latin). In present-day English it covers an older school pupil given authority over other students and a senior government or administrative official, especially in France or ancient Rome. The wider family includes derived forms such as perfectibility, prefecthood, prefectship, subprefect, underprefect and related forms such as prefecture.

## Topics
- Education & Learning

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