prevalence

[ prev-uh-luhns ]

noun

1. the condition of being prevalent, or widespread:

   The study examines the prevalence of profanity in video games.

2. the degree to which something is prevalent or widespread, especially a disease, disorder, or pathogen:

   The prevalence of diabetes mellitus is rising worldwide.

Other Words From

• non·prev·a·lence noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of prevalence¹

First recorded in 1600–10; from French prévalence, from Latin praevalēntia, from praevalent-, stem of praevalēns (present participle of praevalēre “to be more able”) + -ia -y ³( def ); prevail ( def )

Example Sentences

Now the county has its best chance yet to house them in significant numbers and dramatically reduce the prevalence of encampments.

From Los Angeles Times

Its prevalence in Southeast Asian cuisine inspired Hill-Maini, who once worked as a chef, to investigate the spore-bearing organisms behind the dish and figure out how the fungus that creates it could be embraced worldwide.

From Salon

In order to gauge the law’s effectiveness, study authors examined the prevalence of chemicals found in blood and urine samples collected by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

From Los Angeles Times

As the data is not recorded systematically, it is not clear whether these anecdotal reports indicate an unusually high prevalence of congenital abnormalities.

From BBC

Rising global temperatures and worsening extreme weather are changing the distribution and prevalence of tick- and mosquito-borne diseases, fungal pathogens, and water-borne bacteria across the U.S.

From Salon

Related Words

• pervasiveness
• popularity

More About Prevalence

What does prevalence mean?

Prevalence is the state or condition of being widespread or in general use or acceptance.

Prevalence is the noun form of the adjective prevalent, meaning widespread, common, or extensive.

In the context of medicine, prevalence refers to how widespread a disease is—specifically, the total number of cases in a population at a given time.

Example: The prevalence of social media use among teens is often linked to the rise in mental health issues like anxiety.

Where does prevalence come from?

The first records of the word prevalence come from around the early 1600s. It ultimately derives from the Latin praevalēre, meaning “to have superior strength” or “to prevail.” (The word prevail is also based on this word.)

Prevalence can be thought of commonness or widespreadness. In fact, another way to make the adjective prevalent into a noun is the word prevalentness. But the word prevalence is much more … prevalent—meaning it’s much more commonly used. It’s often used in discussions of how widespread things are in society or within a particular culture, like the prevalence of memes on social media or the prevalence of a belief among a certain demographic (specific category of people).

In the context of medicine, prevalence is used in just about the same way, but it involves measuring how widespread a certain disease is in a certain population of people. When scientists find that a disease is prevalent among certain people, they then try to find the reason for that prevalence.

Did you know ... ?

What are some other forms of prevalence?

• prevalent (adjective)
• prevalently (adverb)

What are some synonyms for prevalence?

• prevalentness
• pervasiveness
• popularity
• ubiquity

What are some words that share a root or word element with prevalence?

• prevail

What are some words that often get used in discussing prevalence?

• common
• widespread
• belief
• trend
• disease
• illness

How is prevalence used in real life?

Fittingly, prevalence is a common word. It’s often used in discussions about widespread cultural phenomena.

Prevalence of racist acts perpetrated against our Muslim brethren is abhorrent and should be confronted by all of us. Such heinous acts are contrary to the noble teachings of Lord Buddha. Any attempts to misinterpret such blessed principles are treacherous and unpatriotic.

— Sajith Premadasa (@sajithpremadasa) May 8, 2020

The prevalence of the “doge” meme is really cramping my research into Venetian political structures. pic.twitter.com/TL1K6hl1TU

— Quarynnetine Valente (@catvalente) May 10, 2016

. @ChaunceyGardner Right ,to our first question. Smoking prevalence worldwide has declined by staggering numbers due to what is termed as disruptive technology. What is disruptive technology? #SaferAlternatives

— Campaign for Safer Alternatives (@GoingSmokefree) April 8, 2020

 

 

Try using prevalence!

Which of the following words is LEAST likely to be used to describe something that’s known for its prevalence?

A. widespread
B. common
C. rare
D. ubiquitous