prefigure

C2+ Topic:Actions & Processes

Also spelled pre-figure

US /priˈfɪgjɚ/ UK /priːˈfɪgə/ See IPA manual

Meanings

1

verb
to be an early indication or model of something that comes later

The early sketches prefigure the artist's later masterpieces.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 verb · to be an early indication... foreshadow presage portend herald adumbrateforetokenanticipate

Word family

Derived forms prefigurationprefigurementprefigurative

Related forms figure configure disfigure

Etymology

From Late Latin praefigurare ('to prefigure'), from prae- ('before') + figurare ('to form, shape'), from figura ('shape, figure').

praefigurare Latin figura Latin

View etymology graph ->

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# prefigure

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C2+
**Part of speech:** verb
**IPA (US):** /priˈfɪgjɚ/
**IPA (UK):** /priːˈfɪgə/

## Meanings
1. to be an early indication or model of something that comes later

## Examples
- The early sketches prefigure the artist's later masterpieces.

## Synonyms
- foreshadow
- presage
- portend
- herald
- adumbrate
- foretoken
- anticipate

## Derived Forms
- prefiguration
- prefigurement
- prefigurative

## Related Forms
- figure
- configure
- disfigure

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: praefigurare
- Root: figura

## Etymology
From Late Latin praefigurare ('to prefigure'), from prae- ('before') + figurare ('to form, shape'), from figura ('shape, figure').

## AI Etymology
Prefigure is from Late Latin praefigurare ('to prefigure'), from prae- ('before') + figurare ('to form, shape'), from figura ('shape, figure'). Important recorded forms include praefigurare (Latin) and figura (Latin). Morphologically, the word preserves a built structure whose named elements carry the historical sense into English. The modern sense remains close to that composition, with the parts narrowing into a single lexical item. In current use it covers to be an early indication or model of something that comes later. The wider family includes derived forms such as prefiguration, prefigurement, and prefigurative and related words such as figure, configure, and disfigure.

## Topics
- Actions & Processes

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prefigure

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