prefect
/ˈpɹiːfɛkt/
Word Rarity
Rare
Frequency: Zipf frequency 3.09 in modern English
14
Scrabble Score
7
Letters
2
Syllables
6
Unique Chars
Meaning
noun
An official of Ancient Rome who controlled or superintended a particular command, charge, department, etc.
noun
The head of a department in France.
noun
The head of a prefecture in Japan.
noun
A commander.
noun
A head of a dicastery of the Roman Curia of the Roman Catholic Church.
Example Sentences
- "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"
- "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."
- "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."
- "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."
Etymology
Origin
Word Breakdown
- Root: *dʰeh₁-, prefect, praefectus
Usage
- British usage