Meaning & use
prevalence
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Meanings
noununcountableformal
The fact of being common or widespread in a place or among a group at a particular time.
Grammar: No plural: the prevalence of smartphones.
Patterns
- the prevalence of something
- the prevalence of something in somewhere
Researchers were surprised by the prevalence of fake reviews online.
The prevalence of cycling in the city keeps the air cleaner.
Teachers worry about the prevalence of cheating during exams.
noununcountablemedical
The proportion of a population that has a particular condition at a given time.
Grammar: Contrast with incidence, which counts new cases only.
Patterns
- the prevalence of a disease in a group
The prevalence of diabetes has risen among older adults.
Health officials measured the prevalence of asthma in schoolchildren.
A study showed a low prevalence of the virus in rural areas.
Common combinations
- growing prevalence
- The growing prevalence of remote work has changed city centres.
- high prevalence
- The survey found a high prevalence of anxiety among students.
- prevalence rate
- The prevalence rate of the disease fell last year.
- increasing prevalence
- Doctors noted the increasing prevalence of allergies.
- prevalence of
- The prevalence of plastic in the ocean alarmed the scientists.
Synonyms and how they differ
- commonness
- Commonness is a plainer word and is rarely used in reports, where prevalence sounds more precise.
- frequency
- Frequency says how often something happens, while prevalence says how widespread it is.
- dominance
- Dominance means being the strongest or most controlling, while prevalence only says it is common.
- incidence
- Incidence counts new cases in a period, whereas prevalence counts all existing cases at a time.
Opposites
Word family
- prevalent adjective
- widespread or common at a given time
- prevail verb
- to be common or to win in the end
- prevailing adjective
- most common or most important now
Commonly confused: prevalence or incidence? prevalence or prevalent vs prevailing?
prevalence vs incidence
Incidence is the number of new cases in a period, while prevalence is the total number of existing cases.
prevalence vs prevalent vs prevailing
Prevalent means widespread; prevailing means currently the strongest or most general, as in prevailing winds.
Practice
The study measured the ___ of allergies, that is, how many people currently have them.
Choose one answer.
Prevalence counts everyone who currently has a condition. Incidence counts only new cases in a period, which does not match this description.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “prevalence”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.