0 (in some countries) a very important official in the government or the police: --
He has been appointed Prefect of Bologna.
1 (in some British and Australian schools) an older student who is given some authority and helps to control the younger students --
I hope that it will not make recommendations, trying to turn us into a sort of prefects' council, but there is an issue here which ought to be investigated, quietly.
Among the prefects of a school, very few are usually popular.
Such boys are given opportunities; they become prefects and play an active part in the life of the school.
There is nothing to stop a country giving powers to prefects to deal with it as long as there is a right of appeal.
We have our juniors, our seniors, the prefects and the remove.
They have systems of prefects by which the discipline of the school is largely maintained by the boys themselves.
The purpose of road prefects is both narrower and wider than the purpose of the patrols.
At one period discipline was conducted by the prefects.
