prevalent
Americanadjective
-
widespread; of wide extent or occurrence; in general use or acceptance.
- Synonyms:
- common, far-reaching
-
having the superiority or ascendancy.
-
Archaic. effectual or efficacious.
adjective
-
widespread or current
-
superior in force or power; predominant
Usage
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.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of prevalent
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”; see prevail
Explanation
Something prevalent is common in a particular place at a particular time. Prevalent things are hard to avoid. When you see the word prevalent, think "It's everywhere!" Have you ever noticed how all of a sudden a new word, band, or hairstyle will become super-popular? You may never have seen those things before, and then suddenly they're prevalent. When something is common, it's prevalent. You could say drug use is prevalent among criminals. You could say good study habits are prevalent among good students. If a certain opinion is common, then that's a prevalent view in society.
Vocabulary lists containing prevalent
30 GRE Words Beginning with "P"
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"The Devil and Tom Walker" by Washington Irving
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100 SAT words Beginning with "P"
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Prevalent in night shift workers, in this new study, the international team reveal how circadian misalignment can profoundly alter the brain's regulation of hormones controlling hunger to the detriment of metabolic health.
From Science Daily • Oct. 11, 2023
Prevalent in parts of Africa, the Middle East and Asia, cutting has been performed in communities of different cultures and faiths.
From Seattle Times • Feb. 13, 2023
Prevalent along the front line, the exchange operates like a kind of shadow economy, soldiers say, in which units acquire weapons or equipment and trade them for supplies they need urgently.
From New York Times • Aug. 30, 2022
Prevalent as it was before, the second season blows it up to the magnitude of a kaijū capable of leveling cities.
From Salon • Jan. 14, 2021
On November 13, 1793, just a few days after President Washington’s early-morning ride, publisher Mathew Carey issued what would become a best-selling book: A Short Account of the Malignant Fever, Lately Prevalent in Philadelphia....
From "An American Plague: The True and Terrifying Story of the Yellow Fever Epidemic of 1793" by Jim Murphy
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
