prevalent

[ prev-uh-luhnt ]

adjective

1. widespread; of wide extent or occurrence; in general use or acceptance.

   Synonyms: common, far-reaching

   Antonyms: rare, uncommon

2. having the superiority or ascendancy.
3. Archaic. effectual or efficacious.

prevalent

/ ˈprɛvələnt /

adjective

1. widespread or current
2. superior in force or power; predominant

Derived Forms

• ˈprevalently, adverb
• ˈprevalence, noun

Other Words From

• preva·lence preva·lent·ness noun
• preva·lent·ly adverb
• non·preva·lent adjective
• non·preva·lent·ly adverb
• un·preva·lent adjective
• un·preva·lent·ly adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of prevalent¹

First recorded in 1570–80; from Latin praevalent-, stem of praevalēns “having superior force,” present participle of praevalēre “to be more able, have superior force”; prevail

Word History and Origins

Origin of prevalent¹

C16 (in the sense: powerful): from Latin praevalens very strong, from praevalēre: see prevail

Example Sentences

Reporters at the Press and ProPublica wanted to determine how prevalent these terms are across the state.

From ProPublica

The latter is an anti-vaxx belief so prevalent, it led one Wisconsin pharmacist to allegedly tamper with vials of the vaccine.

From FiveThirtyEight

The takeaway is, this is a variant that’s becoming more prevalent, and we need to lean in and understand more about it.

From Washington Post

That number would likely be about sufficient to achieve herd immunity, but vaccine skepticism is much more prevalent among Republicans.

From Vox

The condition is especially prevalent in South Asia and sub-Saharan Africa.

From MIT Technology Review

There is another prevalent practice in which family members push the victim to the limit until she kills herself.

From The Daily Beast

Yet the sense is that anti-LGBT hate crimes are becoming more prevalent, and more terrifying.

From The Daily Beast

Rape continues to be prevalent worldwide, particularly in areas of conflict and crisis.

From The Daily Beast

The view remains prevalent that Africans need to be saved from themselves.

From The Daily Beast

Sober and muted colors including shades of gray, one described in a local paper as ‘Battleship,’ were prevalent.

From The Daily Beast

They were sure that the white troops in Meerut would soon arrive and put an end to the prevalent anarchy.

From Project Gutenberg

In the town the European mode of living is entirely prevalent—more so than in any other place abroad that I have seen.

From Project Gutenberg

Between 10° and 20° South latitude we again met with very peculiar prevalent winds.

From Project Gutenberg

It is certainly a lucky thing for travellers that this strange custom is not prevalent everywhere.

From Project Gutenberg

Very hot; very limp with the prevalent disease but greatly cheered up by the news of yesterday evening's battle at Helles.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• common
• commonplace
• everyday
• extensive
• frequent
• new
• normal
• popular
• prevailing
• rampant
• rife
• ubiquitous
• universal

When To Use

What are other ways to say prevalent?

Something that is prevalent is widespread or in general use or acceptance. How is this adjective different from prevailing and current? Find out on Thesaurus.com. 

More About Prevalent

What does prevalent mean?

Prevalent means widespread, in general use, or widely accepted.

The noun form of prevalent is prevalence.

Example: Social media use is so prevalent among teens that it’s often linked to the rise in mental health issues like anxiety.

Where does prevalent come from?

The first records of the word prevalent come from around the 1500s. It ultimately derives from the Latin praevalēre, meaning “to have superior strength” or “to prevail.” (The word prevail is also based on this word.)

Prevalent is often used in discussions of how widespread things are, such as in society or within a particular culture. If a belief is described as prevalent, it means it’s widely accepted in general or among a certain group of people. A disease may be described as prevalent in certain areas or in certain groups of people. Certain types of animals are prevalent in certain regions and rare in others. Memes are prevalent on social media. If something is becoming more prevalent, it’s becoming more widespread.

Did you know ... ?

What are some other forms of prevalent?

• prevalence (noun)
• prevalently (adverb)

What are some synonyms for prevalent?

• widespread
• common
• pervasive
• popular
• ubiquitous

What are some words that share a root or word element with prevalent?

• prevail

What are some words that often get used in discussing prevalent?

• belief
• trend
• disease
• illness
• more
• become

How is prevalent used in real life?

Fittingly, prevalent is a common word. It’s often used in discussions about widespread cultural phenomena.

Racism continues to be prevalent in our societies.

We must raise our voices against all expressions of racism and instances of racist behaviour. We urgently need to dismantle racist structures and reform racist institutions.

— António Guterres (@antonioguterres) May 29, 2020

An increasingly prevalent argument seems to be that ignoring baseless theories — rather than debunking or writing skeptically about them — will prevent them from catching on.

That's fanciful. There is an entire media ecosystem willing to trumpet this stuff credulously.

— Aaron Blake (@AaronBlake) May 15, 2020

AI-generated fake videos are becoming more prevalent and convincing. What tools and techniques journalists need to detect fakery? Discover in the latest Conversations with Data newsletter featuring @CraigSilverman & @SamGregory. https://t.co/nSutrOroFE

— European Journalism Centre (@ejcnet) May 31, 2020

Try using prevalent!

Which of the following words is LEAST likely to be used to describe something that’s prevalent?

A. widespread
B. common
C. rare
D. ubiquitous