1. something that foreshadows or represents in advance what is to come later
2. an early form or version that suggests the shape of something that will develop later

Examples

• The storm clouds were a prefiguration of the terrible weather to come.
• Many critics see the early sketches as a prefiguration of the artist’s mature style.
• The student protests served as a prefiguration of the larger social movements that followed.
• His childhood interest in building blocks was a prefiguration of his career in architecture.
• The novel’s opening scene acts as a prefiguration of the tragic ending.
• The economic troubles were a prefiguration of the recession that hit the following year.