prevailing

[ pri-vey-ling ]

adjective

1. predominant:

   prevailing winds.

   Synonyms: prevalent, dominant, preponderant

2. generally current:

   the prevailing opinion.

   Synonyms: widespread, common

   Antonyms: rare

3. having superior power or influence.
4. effectual.

   Synonyms: effective

prevailing

/ prɪˈveɪlɪŋ /

adjective

1. generally accepted; widespread

   the prevailing opinion

2. most frequent or conspicuous; predominant

   the prevailing wind is from the north

Derived Forms

• preˈvailingly, adverb

Other Words From

• pre·vailing·ly adverb
• pre·vailing·ness noun
• unpre·vailing adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of prevailing¹

First recorded in 1580–90; prevail + -ing ²

Example Sentences

For all its demographic changes, Leon’s “Our Town,” which is infused with spirituals from wide-ranging religious traditions, completely accepting of an interracial relationship and welcoming of other forms of diversity that likely would have been pushed to the outer margins in the Grover’s Corners that Wilder imagined, feels utterly in sync with the play’s prevailing spirit.

From Los Angeles Times

Reyes said his staff members and others “had to drill down and go into depth,” whether they were taking on neighborhood slumlords or prevailing upon grandmothers and parents to reel in sons who “were creating all this havoc out there.”

From Los Angeles Times

But Democrats will have to find a way to channel the prevailing public anger instead of attempting to bypass or assuage it.

From Slate

Thomas A. Saenz, president and general counsel of the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund, said he is not worried about non-Latino candidates prevailing in the Eastside contests.

From Los Angeles Times

Most of Mandi’s customers are Europeans, a trend he attributes to a prevailing preference among many Africans for foreign products.

From BBC

Related Words

• current
• predominant
• prevalent
• rampant
• universal
• usual