prevalence

American  

[prev-uh-luhns] / ˈprɛv ə ləns /

Rarely prevalentness

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.

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Usage

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.

Other Word Forms

• nonprevalence noun

Etymology

Origin of prevalence

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

Growth drivers include increasing chronic kidney disease prevalence, better affordability supported by public health programs, and rising disposable incomes.

From The Wall Street Journal

MPs from some rural areas of Britain with a relatively high prevalence of oil heating will also be at the meeting.

From BBC

He predicts that the growing prevalence of jamming could lead to the introduction of more secure alternatives.

From BBC

The Welsh government said it was not currently working to identify the prevalence of CTE among former players, and was "not aware" of other research.

From BBC

Parents send in stool samples and the companies return detailed analyses of the types and prevalence of various microbes found.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• pervasiveness
• popularity