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# prefect

«prefect» in Mova's school dictionary: **an older pupil chosen to help keep order and help younger…** — its meaning for a pupil, its sense in the lessons and examples.

### part of speech

noun (a prefect, prefects)

### meaning for a pupil

1) (UK, Ireland, Australia, NZ) A prefect is an older pupil chosen to help keep order and help younger pupils at school. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/P/prefect/#m1)

2) In some countries, such as France, a prefect is an official who runs a region. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/P/prefect/#m2)

3) In ancient Rome, a prefect was an important officer. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/P/prefect/#m3)

### sense in the lessons

In school life in the UK and other Commonwealth countries prefects wear badges, help at assemblies and watch corridors; head boy or head girl leads them. In school stories prefects can be helpful or bossy. Phrases: «head prefect», «be made a prefect».

### examples

- She was made a prefect in her last year. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/P/prefect/#x1)
- The prefects help at lunchtime. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/P/prefect/#x2)
- A prefect showed the new pupils round. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/P/prefect/#x3)
- The head prefect gave a speech in assembly. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/P/prefect/#x4)
- In the story, the prefects were very strict. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/P/prefect/#x5)
- Ask a prefect if you get lost. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/P/prefect/#x6)
- Prefects wear a special badge. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/P/prefect/#x7)
- The Roman prefect ruled the city. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/P/prefect/#x8)

### note

Countable. Do not confuse with «perfect» (letters swapped): pre-fect vs per-fect. The school meaning is not common in the US, where «hall monitor» or «student council» is used.

### Trees and pragmatics

[Every meaning and example of «prefect» parsed by Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/P/prefect/), each sentence with its dependency tree and frames.