Definition
Prevalent describes what is everywhere you look — the common, dominant condition of a place or time. A belief prevalent in the Middle Ages, a disease prevalent in the tropics, a style now prevalent among the young. From the Latin praevalere, 'to be stronger', it carries a faint sense of winning out: what is prevalent has spread widely enough to become the norm. It is the settled result of which proliferate is the process, and the plain opposite of scarce.
Examples
- Smartphones are now so prevalent that a household without one is rare.
- The disease remains prevalent in regions that lack clean water.
- A prevalent assumption among investors is that prices will keep rising.
Collocations
widely prevalent·a prevalent belief·become prevalent·prevalent among
Synonyms
widespread·common·pervasive·rife·ubiquitous
Antonyms
scarce·rare·uncommon
Word family
prevalence (noun)·prevail (verb)
In TOEFL & IELTS
A high-frequency word in TOEFL/IELTS passages on health, society, and technology — 'prevalent among', 'increasingly prevalent'. The noun 'prevalence' is a key term in academic texts about disease and behavior. In Writing Task 2, 'a prevalent view is that…' is a clean way to introduce a common opinion before responding to it. Distinguish it from 'prevailing', which leans toward 'currently dominant'.