prequel
A prequel is a movie or story that happens before another movie or story. Think of it like watching a history documentary about your family - it's about what happened before.
Movies and TV shows often use this concept to add depth and interest to their stories. For example, imagine you're watching the famous Star Wars series. The original movies tell the main story, but then they release prequels that go back in time and show how the main characters grew up and became the heroes we know. These prequels give us more background information about what happened before the big events in the original stories. Sometimes authors will write prequel books too, which can help readers understand the world and its characters even better.
How common is "prequel"?
It appears most frequently in newspaper texts and less often in other writings.
noun
(narratology) In a series of works, an installment that is set chronologically before its predecessor, especially the original narrative or (perhaps improper usage) any narrative work with at least one sequel.
Example: 2008, 26 February, Andrew Pierce, "JRR Tolkien's estate to sue Lord of the Rings filmmakers New Line Cinema over profits, in The Daily Telegraph They are also threatening to block the production of the long-awaited prequel, The Hobbit, which may now be cancelled.
Real examples of "prequel" in context
