prevalent

Meanings

1. 1adjectivenot comparable

   Common or widespread in a particular place, group, or time.

   Grammar: Not usually used with 'more' or 'most'; it describes a state, not a degree. Often followed by 'among' or 'in'.

   Patterns

   • prevalent among someone
   • prevalent in something
   • become prevalent
   • increasingly prevalent

   The disease is most prevalent among young children.

   This custom is still prevalent in rural areas.

   Anxiety about exams is prevalent among students.

2. 2adjectivenot comparable

   Accepted or practiced widely; dominant.

   Grammar: Describes ideas, beliefs, or practices that are common at a certain time.

   Patterns

   • prevalent view
   • prevalent belief
   • prevalent attitude

   The prevalent view in the 19th century was that the Earth was the center of the universe.

   A prevalent belief at the time was that the sun went around the Earth.

   The prevalent attitude toward work has changed in recent years.

Common combinations

most prevalent

Diabetes is most prevalent in older adults.

become prevalent

Online shopping has become prevalent in the last decade.

increasingly prevalent

Remote work is increasingly prevalent in many industries.

prevalent among

The flu is prevalent among schoolchildren in winter.

prevalent in

This species is prevalent in tropical rainforests.

Synonyms and how they differ

common

Common is more general and can describe everyday things; prevalent is more formal and often used for conditions or attitudes.

widespread

Widespread emphasizes the wide area affected, while prevalent emphasizes frequency or dominance within a group.

rife

Rife is used for bad things that are very common (e.g., corruption was rife), and is stronger and more negative than prevalent.

Opposites

Word family

prevalence noun

The fact of being common or widespread.

prevail verb

To be common or to win.

Commonly confused: prevalent or prevalent?

Practice

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “prevalent”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

Explore more words