- (n.) A Roman officer who controlled or superintended a particular command, charge, department, etc.; as, the prefect of the aqueducts; the prefect of a camp, of a fleet, of the city guard, of provisions; the pretorian prefect, who was commander of the troops guarding the emperor's person.
- (n.) A superintendent of a department who has control of its police establishment, together with extensive powers of municipal regulation.
- (n.) In the Greek and Roman Catholic churches, a title of certain dignitaries below the rank of bishop.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary
| APA | Webster's. (2011). prefect. Retrieved September 22, 2026, from http://smartdefine.org/prefect/definitions/2048553 |
| Chicago | Webster's. 2011. "prefect" http://smartdefine.org/prefect/definitions/2048553 (accessed September 22, 2026). |
| Harvard | Webster's 2011, prefect, Smart Define, viewed 22 September, 2026, <http://smartdefine.org/prefect/definitions/2048553>. |
| MLA | Webster's. "prefect" 27 May 2011. Web. 22 September 2026. <http://smartdefine.org/prefect/definitions/2048553> |