prevalence

American  

[prev-uh-luhns] / ˈprɛv ə ləns /

Rarely prevalentness

noun

1. the condition of being prevalent, or widespread.

   The study examines the prevalence of profanity in video games.

2. the degree to which something is prevalent or widespread, especially a disease, disorder, or pathogen.

   The prevalence of diabetes mellitus is rising worldwide.

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Usage

What does prevalence mean? Prevalence is the state or condition of being widespread or in general use or acceptance. Prevalence is the noun form of the adjective prevalent, meaning widespread, common, or extensive. In the context of medicine, prevalence refers to how widespread a disease is—specifically, the total number of cases in a population at a given time. Example: The prevalence of social media use among teens is often linked to the rise in mental health issues like anxiety.

Other Word Forms

• nonprevalence
  noun

Etymology

Origin of prevalence

First recorded in 1600–10; from French prévalence, from Latin praevalēntia, from praevalent-, stem of praevalēns (present participle of praevalēre “to be more able”) + -ia -y ³ ( def. ); see prevail ( def. )

Explanation

Prevalence means there is a lot of something. If you get a bad grade on a paper for having a prevalence of typos, you need to proofread your work more carefully. The word prevalence comes from the Latin praevalere, meaning "condition of being widespread or general." The word is often used to describe a phenomenon that is widespread in a community, like the prevalence of a disease across a country. Prevalence is another word for "commonness." If there's a prevalence of thefts in your neighborhood, that means the likelihood of your house getting robbed is pretty high.

Example Sentences

The prevalence of oil dulled any urgency to diversify the economy.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 20, 2026

"In the United States, the prevalence of frailty in the non-nursing home population ages 65 and older is about 15%," Kirkwood says.

From Science Daily • May 19, 2026

Concerns have grown over “blue-dot fever,” a term used to describe a prevalence of blue dots that represent empty seats on venue seat maps.

From MarketWatch • May 14, 2026

I also saw the prevalence of streetwear and the way women were dressing at the time.

From Los Angeles Times • May 14, 2026

But there existed in the Western world an element that baffled and frightened the Communist party: the prevalence of self-achieved literacy.

From "Black Boy" by Richard Wright

Related Words

• pervasiveness
• popularity