'Prevalent' definitions:
Definition of 'prevalent'
(from WordNet)
adjective
Most frequent or common; "prevailing winds" [syn: prevailing, prevalent, predominant, dominant, rife]
Definition of 'Prevalent'
From: GCIDE
- Prevalent \Prev"a*lent\, a. [L. praevalens, -entis, p. pr. of praevalere. See Prevail.]
- 1. Gaining advantage or superiority; having superior force, influence, or efficacy; prevailing; predominant; successful; victorious. [1913 Webster]
- Brennus told the Roman embassadors, that prevalent arms were as good as any title. --Sir W. Raleigh. [1913 Webster]
- 2. Most generally received or current; most widely adopted or practiced; also, generally or extensively existing; widespread; prevailing; as, a prevalent observance; prevalent disease. [1913 Webster]
- This was the most received and prevalent opinion. --Woodward. [1913 Webster]
- Syn: Prevailing; predominant; successful; efficacious; powerful.
- Usage: Prevalent, Prevailing. What customarily prevails is prevalent; as, a prevalent fashion. What actually prevails is prevailing; as, the prevailing winds are west. Hence, prevailing is the livelier and more pointed word, since it represents a thing in action. It is sometimes the stronger word, since a thing may prevail sufficiently to be called prevalent, and yet require greater strength to make it actually prevailing. [1913 Webster]
Synonyms of 'prevalent'
From: Moby Thesaurus
- abounding,
- abundant,
- accepted,
- accidental,
- accompanying,
- ado,
- affluent,
- afloat,
- afoot,
- all the rage,
- all the thing,
- all-sufficing,
- ample,
- aplenty,
- ascendant,
- at the head,
- average,
- being,
- besetting,
- boss,
- bottomless,
- bounteous,
- bountiful,
- catholic,
- chief,
- circumstantial,
- commanding,
- common,
- commonplace,
- conformable,
- consuetudinary,
- controlling,
- conventional,
- copious,
- current,
- customary,
- diffuse,
- doing,
- dominant,
- effuse,
- epidemic,
- established,
- eventuating,
- everyday,
- exhaustless,
- existent,
- existing,
- extant,
- extensive,
- extravagant,
- exuberant,
- familiar,
- fashionable,
- fat,
- fertile,
- flush,
- frequent,
- frequentative,
- full,
- galore,
- general,
- generally accepted,
- generous,
- going on,
- governing,
- habitual,
- happening,
- head,
- hegemonic,
- hegemonistic,
- hip,
- in ascendancy,
- in being,
- in charge,
- in chief,
- in effect,
- in existence,
- in fashion,
- in force,
- in hand,
- in plenty,
- in quantity,
- in style,
- in the ascendant,
- in the wind,
- in vogue,
- incidental,
- inexhaustible,
- lavish,
- leading,
- liberal,
- living,
- luxuriant,
- many,
- many times,
- master,
- maximal,
- mod,
- modern,
- much,
- new,
- newfashioned,
- normal,
- not rare,
- numerous,
- obtaining,
- occasional,
- occurring,
- of common occurrence,
- oft-repeated,
- oftentime,
- omnipresent,
- on,
- on foot,
- ongoing,
- opulent,
- ordinary,
- overbearing,
- overflowing,
- pandemic,
- paramount,
- passing,
- pervasive,
- plenitudinous,
- plenteous,
- plentiful,
- plenty,
- popular,
- predominant,
- predominate,
- predominating,
- prepollent,
- preponderant,
- preponderate,
- prepotent,
- prescribed,
- prescriptive,
- present,
- prevailing,
- prodigal,
- productive,
- profuse,
- profusive,
- rampant,
- received,
- recurrent,
- regnant,
- regular,
- regulating,
- regulation,
- regulative,
- regulatory,
- reigning,
- replete,
- resultant,
- rich,
- rife,
- riotous,
- routine,
- ruling,
- running,
- running over,
- set,
- smart,
- sovereign,
- standard,
- stereotyped,
- stock,
- subsistent,
- subsisting,
- superabundant,
- supreme,
- taking place,
- teeming,
- thick-coming,
- time-honored,
- traditional,
- trendy,
- ubiquitous,
- under the sun,
- under way,
- universal,
- up-to-date,
- up-to-datish,
- up-to-the-minute,
- usual,
- wealthy,
- well-found,
- well-furnished,
- well-provided,
- well-stocked,
- wholesale,
- widespread,
- wonted