First Known Use: 15th century
Dictionary
prefigure
verb pre·fig·ure \ˌprē-ˈfi-gyər, especially British -ˈfi-gər\
: to show or suggest (something that will happen or exist at a future time)
Full Definition of PREFIGURE
transitive verb
1
: to show, suggest, or announce by an antecedent type, image, or likeness
2
: to picture or imagine beforehand
— pre·fig·ure·ment \-mənt\ noun
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Origin of PREFIGURE
Middle English, from Late Latin praefigurare, from Latin prae- pre- + figurare to shape, picture, from figura figure
Related to PREFIGURE
- Synonyms
- adumbrate, forerun, harbinger, herald, foreshadow
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