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. ); prevail ( def. )

Example Sentences

The prevalence of AI usage is difficult to gauge because it is so new, said Ruby Bhattacharya, chair of the admission practices committee at the National Assn. for College Admission Counseling.

From Los Angeles Times

The increasing prevalence places heavy pressure on families, caregivers, and health care systems.

From Science Daily

During Costco’s earnings call, executives said the decline in renewal rates was due to a greater prevalence of new members signing up online.

From MarketWatch

She added that it makes it: "Difficult to assess anything about the prevalence, the impact of and the range of services out there to support men and women dealing with psychosis".

From BBC

Despite their prevalence, they remain difficult to eliminate.

From Science Daily

Related Words

• pervasiveness
• popularity