prevalence

Rarely prev·a·lent·ness

[prev-uh-luhns]

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.

Other Word Forms

• nonprevalence noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of prevalence¹

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

Researchers at Stanford, led by Pope and colleague Victor Lee, have concluded that the prevalence of cheating does not appear to be greater than before AI.

From Los Angeles Times

In 2007 he first publicly suggested that he believed that there was a link between vaccines and the increasing prevalence.

From BBC

The prevalence of tee-time brokering was reported by The Times last year, in which scores of local golfers shared frustrations over their inability to secure a tee time on public courses in L.A.

From Los Angeles Times

Breast milk’s prevalence within the bodybuilding community is loosely explored in a recent episode of “Poker Face,” titled “The Big Pump.”

From Salon

“The high prevalence of illegal aliens should enable agents to stop a relatively broad range of individuals.”

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• pervasiveness 
• popularity 

When To Use

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.