prefecture

noun

pre·​fec·​ture ˈprē-ˌfek-chər How to pronounce prefecture (audio)
1
: the office or term of office of a prefect
2
: the official residence of a prefect
3
: the district governed by a prefect
prefectural
ˈprē-ˌfek-chə-rəl How to pronounce prefecture (audio)
pri-ˈfek-
adjective

Examples of prefecture in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Some 700 homes were destroyed, and more than 11,300 buildings were damaged, according to Kumamoto prefecture. — ABC News, 3 Aug. 2026 The overall number of missing in the prefecture remains unknown, and search operations pressed on, with thousands of soldiers, police, rescue workers and sniffer dogs deployed. — Mari Yamaguchi, Los Angeles Times, 2 Aug. 2026 Many of the port city's roughly 58,000 households were still without running water or power on Thursday, two days since the quake hit Kumamoto prefecture killing at least 25 people. — USA Today, 30 July 2026 The quake struck Tuesday afternoon in Kumamoto prefecture on Japan’s southern main island of Kyushu at a relatively shallow depth of 6 miles, prompting tsunami warnings and evacuation from coastal areas. — Mithil Aggarwal, NBC news, 29 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for prefecture

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of prefecture was in the 15th century

Phrases Containing prefecture

Rhymes for prefecture

See All Rhymes for prefecture

Browse Nearby Words

prefectural
prefecture
prefecture apostolic
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Prefecture.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/prefecture. Accessed 5 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation

Kids Definition

prefecture

noun
pre·​fec·​ture ˈprē-ˌfek-chər How to pronounce prefecture (audio)
1
: the office or term of office of a prefect
2
: the district governed by a prefect
prefectural
prē-ˈfek-chə-rəl How to pronounce prefecture (audio)
adjective

More from Merriam-Webster on prefecture

Nglish: Translation of prefecture for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about prefecture

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

'Sneaked' or 'Snuck': Which is correct?

Why does English have so many silent letters?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Dutch Treat and French Leave: Eight Place-Based Compounds

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

How long is a jiffy?

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)
See More

Popular

See More

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Dutch Treat and French Leave: Eight Place-Based Compounds

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
asap street sign
Figure Out These Acronyms ASAP You don't have to be a NASA engineer to get these...
See All