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.

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:

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Verb 1. 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. [画像:prefigure - indicate by signs]prefigure - indicate by signs; "These signs bode bad news"

augur, auspicate, bode, foreshadow, omen, portend, presage, prognosticate, predict, betoken, forecast, foretell

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

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:

adumbrate, augur, bode, forecast, forerun, foreshadow, foretell, foretoken, portend, presage, prognosticate.

Translations

préfigurer

prefigurare

prefigure

[priːˈfɪgəʳ] VT → prefigurar

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

[ˌpriːˈfɪgə^r] vt → préfigurer

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

Mentioned in ?

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.

View in context

Aesthetically allied to fiction films of the time in the epic deliberation of its widescreen lensing and the assertive autonomy of its soundtrack, "Jules" also prefigures present-day observational documentary filmmaking at its starkly lyrical best.

Cousin Jules

Discussed and illustrated throughout is how the original text aligns with and prefigures the narrative traditions of self-discovery, immigrant writing, and magical realism.

Chronicle of the Narvaez expedition; a new translation; context, criticism

Because (oblique) reference to this disputation can be found in the McKay biographies by Tillery and Cooper, we shall not claim these forgotten texts as "discoveries." Nonetheless, one of the things that make the rediscovery of the Schuyler-McKay interchange all the more interesting today is that it prefigures the intense "integration versus separation" debates of the 1960s.

Introduction to the Schuyler-McKay debate

The model is said to embody the brand's 'fluidic sculpture' design theme and prefigures a production minivan that will be introduced in India within the next couple of years.

-Hyundai Motor Company introduces Hexa Space concept vehicle

But Wood usefully points out that Fichte's focus on the unity of the whole human being (i.e., the attempt to reconcile our practical and theoretical needs and interests) prefigures some of the themes that will become central to later versions of Fichte's Wissenschaftslere.

Johann Gottlieb Fichte: Attempt at a Critique of All Revelation

Il giuramento (May 31), created at La Scala in 1837, shows musical structures and procedures borrowed from Rossini, Bellini and Donizetti but also prefigures some early Verdi: a fascinating crossroads and an enjoyable score in its own right.

WASHINGTON

The look of determination on his face prefigures his determination through life.

Letter: Memory Lane; MARJORIE MCCASKIE

A demonstrator, the aircraft prefigures what future Gripens will look like and how they will perform.

New-generation Gripen

In France, this biometric visa program prefigures all ID documents being secured.

Sagem secures biometric visa contract

Jesus refutes such nonsense in a way that prefigures his innocent death on the cross.

Third Sunday in Lent: March 11, 2007

By mirroring his movements as he encircles her, the shot, with its suggestion of ensnarement and confinement, prefigures his reducing her to a state of utter subjection.

Cinematic affects: the art of Runa Islam; Martin Herbert surveys the artist's films, in which coolly hypnotic, oblique narratives--haunted by the afterimages of '60s avant-garde auteurs--straddle the borders between cinema and sculpture, art house and art gallery