prevailing
Americanadjective
-
prevailing winds.
- Synonyms:
- prevalent, dominant, preponderant
-
generally current.
the prevailing opinion.
- Synonyms:
- widespread, common
- Antonyms:
- rare
-
having superior power or influence.
-
- Synonyms:
- effective
adjective
-
generally accepted; widespread
the prevailing opinion
-
most frequent or conspicuous; predominant
the prevailing wind is from the north
Usage
What are other ways to say prevailing?
Something that is prevailing is generally current. What’s the difference between prevailing, current, and prevalent? Find out on Thesaurus.com.Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of prevailing
Explanation
Something that is prevalent or most common can be described as prevailing. The prevailing opinion in your family might be that your cousin Bob who sleeps in his closet is certifiably insane. The adjective prevailing comes from the Latin words prae, meaning before, and valere, meaning to be strong or have power. The English word maintains that sense of strength and predominance. If you live a couple of miles north of a pig farm, and the weatherman says that the prevailing winds will be from the south and gusty, it's probably a good day to keep your windows closed.
Vocabulary lists containing prevailing
Grade 10, List 3
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Metamorphosis
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On Your Mark, Get Set, Commence Your Life!
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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.
Then came the laamb matches, with the Senegalese naturally prevailing.
From Barron's ● Nov. 2, 2026
Chief Justice Warren Burger’s majority opinion, which treats the actual language of the tax code as but a subordinate factor in the analysis, is a model of the dubious interpretative method then prevailing.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 1, 2026
Even after Rudkin spoke, there was a prevailing feeling from some they did not even want to hear from him, such is the frustration towards him and the club.
From BBC ● Oct. 22, 2026
Macauley described the discovery as "paradigm-shifting" because it challenges the prevailing understanding of why people with Alzheimer's often experience severe sleep problems.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 19, 2026
The comic books are drawn in great detail and garishly colored, with green and purple and sulfur-yellow prevailing.
From "Cat's Eye" by Margaret Atwood
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
