Definition of "prefecture" [pre•fec•ture]

• The district administered or governed by a prefect. (noun)
• The office or authority of a prefect. (noun)
• The residence or housing of a prefect. (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.

• "Many family names were connected to some certain prefecture (jun) respectively during the early medieval ages."
• "But the incoming mayor, formerly governor of Osaka prefecture, has tools to ratchet up the pressure: Osaka, Japan's third-biggest city, is both the largest city in Kansai Electric's service area and the utility's biggest shareholder, with a stake of about 9% as of March 31."
• "Aichi prefecture, which is home to the bulk of Toyota's domestic plants is planning to start hiring staffers to do odd jobs -- like inspecting roads -- to offset employment cuts."