Dictionary

prefect en · NOUN

Pronunciation

• /ˈpɹiːfɛkt/
• (Southern-England) audio

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”).

Meanings

1. (historical) An official of Ancient Rome who controlled or superintended a particular command, charge, department, etc.
   • It seems that in the autumn of 803 he went on leave. His uncle Po Chi-chên, had recently been moved from his post at Hsü-chou and promoted to be Prefect of Hsü-chʻang in Central Honan. 1951, Arthur Waley, The Life and Times of Po Chü-i, London: George Allen & Unwin, →OCLC, page 33:
   • Or think of a decent young citizen in a toga - perhaps too much dice, you know - coming out here in the train of some prefect, or tax-gatherer, or trader even, to mend his fortunes. 1899 February, Joseph Conrad, “The Heart of Darkness”, in Blackwood’s Edinburgh Magazine, volume CLXV, number M, New York, N.Y.: The Leonard Scott Publishing Company, […], →OCLC, part I, page 196:
   • the prefect of the aqueducts; the prefect of a camp, of a fleet, of the city guard, or of provisions; the pretorian prefect, who was commander of the troops guarding the emperor's person
2. The head of a department in France.
3. The head of a county in Albania or Romania.
4. The head of a prefecture in Japan.
5. (UK) A school pupil in a position of power over other pupils.
6. A commander.
7. A head of a dicastery of the Roman Curia of the Roman Catholic Church.
   • His Holiness Pope Leo XIV has appointed the Reverend Sister Alessandra Smerilli, F.M.A., who was serving until now as Secretary of the same Dicastery, as Prefect of the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development. 2026, “Resignations and Appointments, 30.06.2026”, in Holy See Press Office:

Forms

Deriveds

perfectibility · prefectship · prefecthood · subprefect · underprefect

Relateds

prefecture

Synonyms

provost (Roman office)

Translations (54)

cs prefekt (the head of a prefecture, whether a Japanese prefecture, French department, or Balkan county) · pt prefeito (the head of a prefecture, whether a Japanese prefecture, French department, or Balkan county) · it prefetto (a head of dicastery) · de Präfektin (the head of a prefecture, whether a Japanese prefecture, French department, or Balkan county) · pl prefekt (an official of ancient Rome) · mi piriwheke (a school pupil in a position of power over other pupils) · pl komendant (a commander) · ru префе́кт (the head of a prefecture, whether a Japanese prefecture, French department, or Balkan county) · pdt Launtsrot (a commander) · bg префект (an official of ancient Rome) · de Präfekt (a head of dicastery) · es prefecta (a head of dicastery) · pl dyżurny (a school pupil in a position of power over other pupils) · id gubernur (the head of a prefecture, whether a Japanese prefecture, French department, or Balkan county) · fi valvojaoppilas (a school pupil in a position of power over other pupils) · de Präfektin (a head of dicastery) · de Präfekt (the head of a prefecture, whether a Japanese prefecture, French department, or Balkan county) · cmn 級長 /级长 (a school pupil in a position of power over other pupils) · ru ста́роста (a school pupil in a position of power over other pupils) · pl komendantka (a commander) · fr préfet (an official of ancient Rome) · pt prefeito (an official of ancient Rome) · fr préfète (a head of dicastery) · cy swyddog (a school pupil in a position of power over other pupils) · la praepositus (a commander) · es prefecto (a head of dicastery) · it capo (a commander) · it prefetta (a head of dicastery) · es prefecto (an official of ancient Rome) · ru руководи́тель (a commander) · la praefectus (the head of a prefecture, whether a Japanese prefecture, French department, or Balkan county) · grc ἔπαρχος (an official of ancient Rome) · sh prèfekt (the head of a prefecture, whether a Japanese prefecture, French department, or Balkan county) · it prefetto (the head of a prefecture, whether a Japanese prefecture, French department, or Balkan county) · de Präfekt (an official of ancient Rome) · pl dyżurna (a school pupil in a position of power over other pupils) · fi prefekti (an official of ancient Rome) · id prefek (the head of a prefecture, whether a Japanese prefecture, French department, or Balkan county) · it capoclasse (a school pupil in a position of power over other pupils) · it prefetto (an official of ancient Rome) · pl prefekt (the head of a prefecture, whether a Japanese prefecture, French department, or Balkan county) · ga maor (a school pupil in a position of power over other pupils) · fr préfète (the head of a prefecture, whether a Japanese prefecture, French department, or Balkan county) · fr préfet (the head of a prefecture, whether a Japanese prefecture, French department, or Balkan county) · la praefectus (an official of ancient Rome) · mi piriwheke (an official of ancient Rome) · fi prefekti (the head of a prefecture, whether a Japanese prefecture, French department, or Balkan county) · sq prefekt (the head of a prefecture, whether a Japanese prefecture, French department, or Balkan county) · yue 風紀 /风纪 (a school pupil in a position of power over other pupils) · ru префе́кт (an official of ancient Rome) · fr préfet (a head of dicastery) · it preposto (a commander) · es prefecto (the head of a prefecture, whether a Japanese prefecture, French department, or Balkan county) · sw kiranja (a school pupil in a position of power over other pupils)