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 adjective

Examples of prefecture in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web More than 200 people were killed and thousands left homeless after a 7.5-magnitude earthquake hit Ishikawa prefecture on January 1. Chris Lau, CNN, 12 Mar. 2024 From the serene art islands of Naoshima in the Seto Inland Sea, where fascinating examples of contemporary art and architecture are on display, to the snowy peaks, hot springs, and enviable ski slopes of Hokkaido in the north, each prefecture offers something special. Roger Sands, Forbes, 20 Feb. 2024 Aftershocks continued to shake Ishikawa prefecture and nearby areas two days after a magnitude 7.6 temblor slammed the area on Monday. USA TODAY, 3 Jan. 2024 Officials are also concerned about landslides hitting Ishikawa prefecture because rain was forecast there Tuesday night. Julia Mio Inuma, Washington Post, 2 Jan. 2024 The aircraft was going to fly earthquake relief to Niigata prefecture on the country’s west coast after a series of strong tremors killed at least 48 people and left widespread damage, Saito said. Elizabeth Robinson, NBC News, 2 Jan. 2024 Aftershocks continued to shake Ishikawa prefecture and nearby areas a day after a magnitude 7.6 temblor slammed the area on Monday afternoon. Hiro Komae and Yuri Kageyama, USA TODAY, 2 Jan. 2024 Among them were Roke and Hiro, from the east-central prefecture of Saitama. Jessie Yeung, CNN, 10 Feb. 2024 Meanwhile, in Japan’s Wakayama prefecture, famous for growing mandarin oranges, there’s a shrine dedicated to the god of the mikan, also known as the satsuma mandarin. TIME, 2 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'prefecture.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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

Dictionary Entries Near prefecture

Cite this Entry

“Prefecture.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/prefecture. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

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 adjective

More from Merriam-Webster on prefecture

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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