prefigure

verb

pre·​fig·​ure ˌprē-ˈfi-gyər 

 especially British  -ˈfi-gə

prefigured; prefiguring; prefigures

transitive verb

1

: to show, suggest, or announce by an antecedent type, image, or likeness

2

: to picture or imagine beforehand

prefigurement

ˌprē-ˈfi-gyər-mənt 

 especially British  -ˈfi-gə-

noun

Synonyms

• adumbrate
• forerun
• foreshadow
• harbinger
• herald

Examples of prefigure in a Sentence

His style of painting prefigured the development of modern art.

the first crocus traditionally prefigures the arrival of spring

Recent Examples on the Web

The details are what captivate; chrome strips on the hood and sides, and exquisite chrome hood hinges prefiguring the decklid hinges on Ferrari’s 275 GTB/4. —Robert Ross, Robb Report, 1 Nov. 2024

Woody’s facial-recognition research in the 1960s prefigured all these technological breakthroughs and their queasy ethical implications. —Shaun Raviv, WIRED, 21 Jan. 2020

The index, which measures wholesale prices – and thus generally prefigures changes in the CPI – was unchanged in September from August, defying expectations from a Dow Jones survey of a 0.1% increase. —Yeo Boon Ping, CNBC, 14 Oct. 2024

Westchester County during the Revolutionary War prefigured the Wild West before that concept had entered a dime novelist’s mind. —Ian Frazier, The New Yorker, 15 July 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Late Latin praefigurare, from Latin prae- pre- + figurare to shape, picture, from figura figure

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

prefigure

verb

pre·​fig·​ure (ˈ)prē-ˈfig-yər 

 especially British  -ˈfig-ər

1

: to show, suggest, or announce by an earlier type, image, or likeness

the first crocus prefigures the arrival of spring

2

: to picture or imagine beforehand

prefigure the outcome of the game

prefiguration

(ˌ)prē-ˌfig-(y)ə-ˈrā-shən

noun

prefigurement

(ˈ)prē-ˈfig-yər-mənt 

 especially British  -ˈfig-ər-

noun