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Definition of "prefect" [pre•fect]

  • A high administrative official or chief officer, as: (noun)
  • Any of several high military or civil officials in ancient Rome. (noun)
  • The chief of police of Paris, France. (noun)
  • A chief administrative official of a department of France. (noun)
  • The administrator in charge of discipline at a Jesuit school. (noun)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Use "prefect" in a sentence
  • "This role as social prefect is an intolerable burden"
  • "Around the time of Easter last year, the knight I mentioned earlier, whom we called the prefect of Tiberiad, and who had been victorious in that battle, was involved in another encounter, less fortunate for our men, in which he was captured, and brought alive by the pagans to"
  • "The prefect is a member of FUC and the sultan is accused of sympathising with the rebels, who along with two other groups have been fighting the army in recent weeks, Tenebaye told AFP."