prevailing

American  

[pri-vey-ling] / prɪˈveɪ lɪŋ /

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

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prevailing British  

/ prɪˈveɪlɪŋ /

adjective

1. generally accepted; widespread

   the prevailing opinion

2. most frequent or conspicuous; predominant

   the prevailing wind is from the north

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Usage

What are other ways to say prevailing?

Something that is prevailing is generally current. What’s the difference between prevailing, current, and prevalent? Find out on Thesaurus.com.

Other Word Forms

• prevailingly adverb
• prevailingness noun
• unprevailing adjective

Etymology

Origin of prevailing

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

Explanation

Something that is prevalent or most common can be described as prevailing. The prevailing opinion in your family might be that your cousin Bob who sleeps in his closet is certifiably insane. The adjective prevailing comes from the Latin words prae, meaning before, and valere, meaning to be strong or have power. The English word maintains that sense of strength and predominance. If you live a couple of miles north of a pig farm, and the weatherman says that the prevailing winds will be from the south and gusty, it's probably a good day to keep your windows closed.

Example Sentences

"Given the spillovers from the war, we expect near-term demand for IMF balance-of-payments support to rise by somewhere between $20 billion and $50 billion, with the lower bound prevailing if ceasefire holds," Georgieva said.

From Barron's • Apr. 9, 2026

His line-break helped Exeter apply the territorial pressure that led to Vintcent going over, with Slade superbly using the prevailing wind to kick a tricky conversion.

From BBC • Apr. 4, 2026

Kingsley previously played Moses in an eponymously-titled 1995 production for TNT, part of a 27-installment collection that ended in 2002 with “Apocalypse” – an appropriate subject, perhaps, considering the time’s prevailing anxieties.

From Salon • Mar. 29, 2026

The teams met three previous times in the finals, Loyola winning in 2005 and 2010 and Mira Costa prevailing in 2012.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 21, 2026

As the practical details piled up in his mind, Conant, who had come to Chicago still imbued with the skepticism about atomic weaponry prevailing in Bush’s circle, finally began to reconsider.

From "Big Science" by Michael Hiltzik

Related Words

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