Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

prefigure

/pɹiːfɪɡjɚ/

Word Rarity Very rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 1.57 in modern English

Syllables: pre-fig-ure
IPA: /pɹiːfɪɡjɚ/

15

Scrabble Score

9

Letters

3

Syllables

7

Unique Chars

Meaning

verb

To show or suggest ahead of time; to represent beforehand.

verb

To predict or foresee.

noun

That which prefigures or appears to predict; a harbinger.

Example Sentences

"Hong Kong, Singapore and Shanghai, all prefigure NRx urban futures."
"Quite different is the way in which the tomboy girled the rebel narrative. In recent years, queer theorists have taken a deep interest in the tomboy as a prefigure for the butch dyke."
"In his influential commentary (the Moralia) Gregory the Great interpreted the protagonist typologically as a prefigure of Christ and of the Church persecuted."

Etymology

From Middle English prefiguren, from Latin praefigurare, from figurare (“to shape, picture”).

Origin

Source language: Middle English

Word Breakdown

Root: prefiguren, praefigurare

Inflected Forms

prefigures (present, singular) prefiguring (participle, present) prefigured (participle, past) prefigured (past) prefigures (plural)

Derived Forms

prefigurable prefigurement unprefigured

Synonyms

presage portend forereckon foreshadow announce bode auspicate prognosticate omen betoken augur foretell

Questions

How do you pronounce prefigure?: The recorded pronunciation is /pɹiːfɪɡjɚ/.
What does prefigure mean?: To show or suggest ahead of time; to represent beforehand.
Where does prefigure come from?: It is traced to Middle English.

How to pronounce prefigure

Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “prefigure”.
Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling (/pɹiːfɪɡjɚ/) so you know which sounds to aim for.
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