Skip to content

préfet

prefect

noun preh-FEH Rare
People & Society Government

Usage Note

Préfet is a senior civil servant who represents the French state in a département or région. The role has no direct equivalent in English-speaking countries — the prefect oversees public order, manages state services, and implements government policy locally. The feminine is préfète, increasingly used since the 1990s.

Examples

"Le préfet a signé l'arrêté municipal."

Natural Translation

The prefect signed the municipal order.

Explore French by topic