Meanings
plural prequels
- human sciencesIn a series of works, an installment that is set chronologically before its predecessor, especially the original narrative or (perhaps improper usage) any narrative work with at least one sequel.
2008, 26 February, Andrew Pierce, "JRR Tolkien's estate to sue Lord of the Rings filmmakers New Line Cinema over profits, in The Daily Telegraph They are also threatening to block the production of the long-awaited prequel, The Hobbit, which may now be cancelled.
2 more examples
'Prequels' are sequels that relate the story that preceded the original film.
1980, Patrick Robertson, Movie Facts and Feats: A Guinness Record Book, New York: Sterling Publishing, page 43Set in 1935, Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom probably has to be called a pre-sequel, or prequel, to Raiders of the Lost Ark, which was set in 1936, but it isn’t pulpy in the way that Raiders was.
1984, Pauline Kael, The New Yorker
Synonyms & antonyms
Origin
From pre- (“before”) + quel, by analogy with sequel.
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Catalan preqüela
- preqüelain a series of works, an installment that is set chronologically before its predecessor
Chinese Mandarin 前傳 /前传
- 前傳 /前传 (qiánzhuàn)in a series of works, an installment that is set chronologically before its predecessor
Esperanto antaŭdaŭrigo
- antaŭdaŭrigoin a series of works, an installment that is set chronologically before its predecessor
Finnish esiosa, etko-osa
- esiosain a series of works, an installment that is set chronologically before its predecessor
- etko-osain a series of works, an installment that is set chronologically before its predecessor
French préquelle, antépisode
- préquellein a series of works, an installment that is set chronologically before its predecessor
- antépisodein a series of works, an installment that is set chronologically before its predecessor
- prequelin a series of works, an installment that is set chronologically before its predecessor
German Prequel, Vorläufer
- Prequelin a series of works, an installment that is set chronologically before its predecessor
- Vorläuferin a series of works, an installment that is set chronologically before its predecessor
- Vorgeschichtein a series of works, an installment that is set chronologically before its predecessor
- Vorgängerin a series of works, an installment that is set chronologically before its predecessor
Italian prequel
- prequelin a series of works, an installment that is set chronologically before its predecessor
Japanese 前編
- 前編 (zenpen)in a series of works, an installment that is set chronologically before its predecessor
Polish prequel
- prequelin a series of works, an installment that is set chronologically before its predecessor
Portuguese prequela, prelúdio
- prequelain a series of works, an installment that is set chronologically before its predecessor
- prelúdioin a series of works, an installment that is set chronologically before its predecessor
- prequênciain a series of works, an installment that is set chronologically before its predecessor
Russian при́квел, предысто́рия
- при́квел (príkvɛl)in a series of works, an installment that is set chronologically before its predecessor
- предысто́рия (predystórija)in a series of works, an installment that is set chronologically before its predecessor
Spanish precuela, protosecuela
- precuelain a series of works, an installment that is set chronologically before its predecessor
- protosecuelain a series of works, an installment that is set chronologically before its predecessor
Rhymes & wordplay
Rhymes with prequel
All rhymes →Cite this entry
prequel. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/prequel
“prequel.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/prequel. Accessed November 2, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “prequel,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/prequel.
Source: prequel on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.