prefecture
n. countablen. a specific area or district that has its own local government. You usually hear this word when people talk about how countries like Japan or France are divided.
n. an administrative jurisdiction or district governed by a local authority. Often used to describe the primary sub-national divisions in countries such as Japan, France, and Greece.
Kyoto is a famous prefecture in Japan.
The governor of the prefecture announced new funding for public transportation across the district.
While the central government sets national policy, each prefecture maintains significant autonomy over regional infrastructure and educational standards.
Borrowed from Middle French préfecture, from Latin praefectūra. Equivalent to prefect + -ure. As an East Asian administrative division, a calque of Chinese 府 (fǔ) and 郡 (jùn), also used to describe 縣 /县 (xian, “county”) and 州 (zhou, “province”) in some eras.
Often used as a proper noun when naming a specific region (e.g., 'Osaka Prefecture').