prefigure


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pre·fig·ure

 (prē-fĭg′yər)
tr.v. pre·fig·ured, pre·fig·ur·ing, pre·fig·ures
1. To suggest, indicate, or represent by an antecedent form or model; presage or foreshadow: The paintings of Paul Cézanne prefigured the rise of cubism in the early 1900s.
2. Archaic To imagine in advance.

[Middle English prefiguren, from Old French prefigurer, from Late Latin praefigūrāre : Latin prae-, pre- + Latin figūrāre, to shape (from figūra, shape; see dheigh- in Indo-European roots).]

pre·fig′ur·a·tive (-fĭg′yər-ə-tĭv) adj.
pre·fig′ur·a·tive·ly adv.
pre·fig′ure·ment n.
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

prefigure

(priːˈfɪɡə) or

prefigurate

vb (tr)
1. to represent or suggest in advance
2. to imagine or consider beforehand
preˈfigurement n
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

pre•fig•ure

(priˈfɪg yər)

v.t. -ured, -ur•ing.
1. to show or represent beforehand by a figure or type; foreshadow.
2. to picture or represent to oneself beforehand; imagine.
[1400–50; late Middle English < Late Latin praefigūrāre. See pre-, figure (v.)]
pre•fig′ur•a•tive, adj.
pre•fig′ure•ment, n.
Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.

prefigure


Past participle: prefigured
Gerund: prefiguring

Imperative
prefigure
prefigure
Present
I prefigure
you prefigure
he/she/it prefigures
we prefigure
you prefigure
they prefigure
Preterite
I prefigured
you prefigured
he/she/it prefigured
we prefigured
you prefigured
they prefigured
Present Continuous
I am prefiguring
you are prefiguring
he/she/it is prefiguring
we are prefiguring
you are prefiguring
they are prefiguring
Present Perfect
I have prefigured
you have prefigured
he/she/it has prefigured
we have prefigured
you have prefigured
they have prefigured
Past Continuous
I was prefiguring
you were prefiguring
he/she/it was prefiguring
we were prefiguring
you were prefiguring
they were prefiguring
Past Perfect
I had prefigured
you had prefigured
he/she/it had prefigured
we had prefigured
you had prefigured
they had prefigured
Future
I will prefigure
you will prefigure
he/she/it will prefigure
we will prefigure
you will prefigure
they will prefigure
Future Perfect
I will have prefigured
you will have prefigured
he/she/it will have prefigured
we will have prefigured
you will have prefigured
they will have prefigured
Future Continuous
I will be prefiguring
you will be prefiguring
he/she/it will be prefiguring
we will be prefiguring
you will be prefiguring
they will be prefiguring
Present Perfect Continuous
I have been prefiguring
you have been prefiguring
he/she/it has been prefiguring
we have been prefiguring
you have been prefiguring
they have been prefiguring
Future Perfect Continuous
I will have been prefiguring
you will have been prefiguring
he/she/it will have been prefiguring
we will have been prefiguring
you will have been prefiguring
they will have been prefiguring
Past Perfect Continuous
I had been prefiguring
you had been prefiguring
he/she/it had been prefiguring
we had been prefiguring
you had been prefiguring
they had been prefiguring
Conditional
I would prefigure
you would prefigure
he/she/it would prefigure
we would prefigure
you would prefigure
they would prefigure
Past Conditional
I would have prefigured
you would have prefigured
he/she/it would have prefigured
we would have prefigured
you would have prefigured
they would have prefigured
Collins English Verb Tables © HarperCollins Publishers 2011
ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:
Verb1.prefigure - imagine or consider beforehand; "It wasn't as bad as I had prefigured"
conceive of, envisage, ideate, imagine - form a mental image of something that is not present or that is not the case; "Can you conceive of him as the president?"
2.prefigure - indicate by signsprefigure - indicate by signs; "These signs bode bad news"
threaten - to be a menacing indication of something:"The clouds threaten rain"; "Danger threatens"
bespeak, betoken, indicate, signal, point - be a signal for or a symptom of; "These symptoms indicate a serious illness"; "Her behavior points to a severe neurosis"; "The economic indicators signal that the euro is undervalued"
foreshow - foretell by divine inspiration
Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2012 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.

prefigure

verb foreshadow, suggest, indicate, intimate, presage, portend, shadow forth, adumbrate, foretoken The party says his departure did not prefigure a major policy shift.
Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002

prefigure

verb
To give an indication of something in advance:
The American Heritage® Roget's Thesaurus. Copyright © 2013, 2014 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Translations

prefigure

[priːˈfɪgəʳ] VTprefigurar
Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005

prefigure

[ˌpriːˈfɪgər] vtpréfigurer
Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005

prefigure

vt (= indicate)anzeigen, ankündigen; (= imagine beforehand)sich (dat)ausmalen
Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007

prefigure

[priːˈfɪgəʳ] vt (Art) → prefigurare
Collins Italian Dictionary 1st Edition © HarperCollins Publishers 1995
References in classic literature ?
His career it would be difficult to prefigure. There appeared to be qualities in Holgrave, such as, in a country where everything is free to the hand that can grasp it, could hardly fail to put some of the world's prizes within his reach.
The quiet narrative provides many anecdotal descriptions and detail about young Karol's early years, with many connection that prefigure his eventual destiny.
Renault will lift the lid on a new concept car that will prefigure the successor of its Espace mini-van model in the form of a top-of-the-range crossover.
Sections detailing the David Petraeus affair come off as a touch ribald, but this can be forgiven in light of Campbell's scholarly reach: a rigorous and penetrating look at how France's historical opposition to the African Union worked to prefigure AU marginalization during the NATO operation, for example.
His collages, made from sweet wrappers, magazines and ripped- up newspapers, prefigure pop art in the way they turn everyday objects into gallery work.
Lovers Peter Abelard and Heloise prefigure a certain equality in romantic relationships.
Several sources close to the dossier suggest this extension is likely to prefigure the launch of an in-depth investigation over four to five months, since the Commission will need time to address the serious competition concerns raised by the merger.
His fierce criticisms of religious art prefigure the Iconoclast controversy.
The outcome of this debate over the Posse Comitatus Act may prefigure the contours of our society for a generation or more.
The multilingual Li shared with the Globe a poem he had writ ten that almost seemed to prefigure an annexation of Canada by China.