noun Uncommon

prologue

PROH-log

Prologue (noun) means an introductory section that comes before the main part of a play, book, or story. Example: “The novel's prologue explains events that happened twenty years before the main plot begins.”

noun

An introductory section that comes before the main part of a play, book, or story.

"The novel's prologue explains events that happened twenty years before the main plot begins."

"Shakespeare often used a prologue to set the scene before the actors took the stage."

In cycling, a short individual time trial held before a multi-stage race to decide the early race leader.

"He won the prologue by two seconds and wore the leader's jersey on day one."

verb

To introduce something with a formal opening statement.

"The director chose to prologue the film with a brief historical note."

How to use prologue

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishThe opening part that comes before the real story starts.

Common mistake

Don't confuse with epilogue, which comes at the end rather than the beginning.

Easily confused with

epilogue →

Word forms

prologued past tense, prologues plural, prologues singular

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The novel's _____ explains events that happened twenty years before the main plot begins.

Etymology

From Old French prologue, from Latin prologus, from Greek prólogos, built from pro- ("before") plus -logue ("speech").

Origin: Latin

Antonyms

epilogue epilog

Related words

literature epilog epilogue coda preamble

Rhymes for prologue

rue due sue cue hue blue true flue clue glue imbue pique

See all rhymes for prologue →

Frequently asked questions

What does “prologue” mean?

The word “prologue” means an introductory section that comes before the main part of a play, book, or story. In plain terms, the opening part that comes before the real story starts.

How do you pronounce “prologue”?

“Prologue” is pronounced PROH-log (/ˈpɹoʊlɔɡ/ in IPA).

How do you use “prologue” in a sentence?

Here is “prologue” used in a sentence: “The novel's prologue explains events that happened twenty years before the main plot begins.”

What is the opposite of “prologue”?

The opposite of “prologue” — its antonyms — are epilogue and epilog.

What part of speech is “prologue”?

Depending on how it is used, “prologue” can be a noun and a verb.

Where does the word “prologue” come from?

The word “prologue” comes from Latin. From Old French prologue, from Latin prologus, from Greek prólogos, built from pro- ("before") plus -logue ("speech").

Is “prologue” a common word?

“Prologue” is an uncommon word in modern English.

How many meanings does “prologue” have?

“Prologue” has 3 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: an introductory section that comes before the main part of a play, book, or story.

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literature epilog epilogue coda preamble