prevailing wind
noun
a wind from a specified direction that is the typical or predominant wind direction in a particular region or season (often used in the plural).
prevailing winds
-
pluralof prevailing wind.plural
The grammatical form denoting more than one person, place, thing, or idea.
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.
Russian electronic warfare disrupts the satellite navigation systems in Ukrainian drones, forcing them to drift with prevailing winds or default flight paths, rather than toward their intended targets inside Russia.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 14, 2026
Areas exposed to those prevailing winds have had the wettest weather.
From BBC ● Feb. 2, 2026
As the Salton Sea has become a fertilized petri dish, the prevailing winds have pushed aerosolized bacteria south to communities in the Imperial Valley where people have complained of respiratory issues.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 6, 2024
The idea that restricting spending was nothing but a “curb on ambition” took root, and the clubs moved with the prevailing winds.
From New York Times ● Jan. 19, 2024
The course at Griinau was six lanes wide, but the outermost two lanes—lanes five and six—were so exposed to the prevailing winds on the Langer See that they were at times all but unrowable.
From "The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics" by Daniel James Brown
