prefecture
noun /ˈpriːfektʃə(r)/
/ˈpriːfektʃər/
- an area of local government in some countries, for example France, Italy and JapanWord Originlate Middle English: from Latin praefectura, from praefectus ‘(person) set in authority over’, past participle of praeficere ‘set in authority over’, from prae ‘before’ + facere ‘make’.