prevailing

American  

[pri-vey-ling] / prɪˈveɪ lɪŋ /

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

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prevailing British  

/ prɪˈveɪlɪŋ /

adjective

1. generally accepted; widespread

   the prevailing opinion

2. most frequent or conspicuous; predominant

   the prevailing wind is from the north

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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

• prevailingly adverb
• prevailingness noun
• unprevailing adjective

Etymology

Origin of prevailing

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

Example Sentences

Aviemore has also had below the average as it has been very sheltered from the prevailing south-east winds by the Cairngorm mountains.

From BBC

They were never meant to, because the prevailing understanding is that content is primarily a feast for the eyes and shortened attention spans.

From Salon

While Iran had granted approval for consular access to the 10 arrested Indians on 10 January, this "did not happen at that time, presumably, due to the prevailing situation in Iran", according to the documents.

From BBC

It maintained the prevailing rate of appreciation of the Singapore dollar nominal effective exchange rate policy band, aiming to underpin medium-term price stability.

From The Wall Street Journal

The results were no eureka moment for luxury and might lead to caution prevailing among investors, Jefferies analysts wrote in a note to clients.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

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