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 BBC this month reported on the dangers posed by illegal skin lightening products and their prevalence.

From BBC

But the ITF says the growing prevalence of so-called "shadow fleets" could be contributing to the big spike last year.

From BBC

“Without the research base, it’s really hard to move forward with any other reforms,” he says, adding that a key finding would be data shedding light on the prevalence of gambling disorder.

From Barron's

Yet for all their prevalence, how they form has remained unclear.

From Science Daily

In contrast, "morning people," also known as early birds, showed a 5% lower prevalence of poor cardiovascular health scores compared with individuals without a strong morning or evening preference.

From Science Daily

Related Words

• pervasiveness
• popularity