(in France, Italy, etc) the chief administrative officer in a department
2.
(in France, etc) the head of a police force
3. British
a schoolchild appointed to a position of limited power over his or her fellows
4.
(in ancient Rome) any of several magistrates or military commanders
5. Also called: prefect apostolic Roman Catholic Church
an official having jurisdiction over a missionary district that has no ordinary
6. Roman Catholic Church
one of two senior masters in a Jesuit school or college (the prefect of studies and the prefect of discipline or first prefect)
7. Roman Catholic Church
a cardinal in charge of a congregation of the Curia
Also (for senses 4–7): praefect
Derived forms
prefectorial (ˌpriːfɛkˈtɔːrɪəl)
adjective
Word origin
C14: from Latin praefectus one put in charge, from praeficere to place in authority over, from prae before + facere to do, make
prefect apostolic in American English
nounWord forms: pluralprefects apostolic
Roman Catholic Church
the administrator, usually below the rank of bishop, in charge of a prefecture apostolic
Word origin
[1905–10]This word is first recorded in the period 1905–10. Other words that entered Englishat around the same time include: overcall, push-up, scrounge, thiamine, white list