prevailing

[pri-vey-ling]

adjective

1. predominant.

   prevailing winds.

   Synonyms: prevalent, dominant, preponderant

2. generally current.

   the prevailing opinion.

   Synonyms: widespread, common
   Antonyms: rare

3. having superior power or influence.

4. effectual.

   Synonyms: effective

prevailing

/ prɪˈveɪlɪŋ /

adjective

1. generally accepted; widespread

   the prevailing opinion

2. most frequent or conspicuous; predominant

   the prevailing wind is from the north

Other Word Forms

• prevailingly adverb
• prevailingness noun
• unprevailing adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of prevailing¹

First recorded in 1580–90; prevail + -ing ²

Example Sentences

It blew topsy-turvy in an eastward direction, borne by fate and the prevailing winds toward the wide, unforgiving sea.

Read more on Literature

By the 1960s, the prevailing wisdom was that offices should be designed with human needs in mind, factoring in light, noise, views and privacy to enhance performance.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

That’s the prevailing view among Wall Street economists based on the limited amount of information available to them — most notably, the weekly tally of how many people applied for unemployment benefits in each state.

Read more on MarketWatch

The argument cuts against the prevailing view that better data will produce fairer policy.

Read more on BBC

Ms. Low tacitly admits that the prevailing culture has been overselling the rewards of work—and playing down the importance of relationships, i.e., marriage and children, as a cornerstone of a woman’s happiness.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• current 
• predominant 
• prevalent 
• rampant 
• universal 
• usual 

When To Use

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.