prevailing wind

American  

[pri-vayl-ing wind] / prɪˈveɪl ɪŋ ˈwɪnd /

noun

• prevailing winds
  plural

1. Meteorology. 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).

2. the dominant direction of public attitudes and trends.

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prevailing wind Scientific  

/ prĭ-vā′lĭng /

1. A wind that blows predominantly from a single general direction. The trade winds of the tropics, which blow from the east throughout the year, are prevailing winds.

2. See illustration at wind

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• prevailing winds
  plural

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

prevailing wind

The immense umbrella cloud that forms does not behave like a normal ash plume that simply drifts with the prevailing wind.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 22, 2026

This variation is also due to the wind direction, with rain being blown in by a prevailing wind coming off the North Sea, dragging in extra moisture which has enhanced both the rain and cloud.

From BBC ● Feb. 5, 2026

Yana Valachovic, a fire scientist at the University of California, said some of the spared houses were tucked away from prevailing wind currents so that embers didn’t hit them.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 17, 2025

Do you have a prevailing wind direction in your yard?

From Seattle Times ● Nov. 21, 2023

The prevailing wind was westerly, as at Efrafa.

From "Watership Down: A Novel" by Richard Adams

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