prevalence

noun

prev·​a·​lence ˈpre-və-lən(t)s 

ˈprev-lən(t)s

1

: the quality or state of being prevalent

2

: the degree to which something is prevalent

especially : the percentage of a population that is affected with a particular disease at a given time

Synonyms

• frequency
• occurrence
• frequence

Examples of prevalence in a Sentence

the prevalence of rumors when hard information is withheld from the public

Recent Examples on the Web

Cancer care has been the top driver of employer cost increases for four years in a row, exacerbated by a growing prevalence of diagnoses and more expensive treatments, according to the Business Group on Health, which surveyed 121 larger companies. —Tami Luhby, CNN Money, 4 Sep. 2025

Despite their prevalence, the precise causes of hemorrhoids remain poorly understood. —Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 3 Sep. 2025

But, given the prevalence of wellness trends online, whether the 'lock in' trend will hold the attention of the internet over that timespan, remains to be seen. —Marni Rose McFall, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 Sep. 2025

In many of these suburbs, the prevalence of tearing down perfectly sound old single-family homes in order to build often-gaudy new structures has led to proposals to incentivize keeping more of the old housing stock, using tax breaks and other means. —The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 1 Sep. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1682, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for prevalence

• benevolence
• malevolence
• seroprevalence

Kids Definition

prevalence

noun

prev·​a·​lence ˈprev(-ə)-lən(t)s 

1

: the state of being prevalent

2

: the degree to which something is prevalent

especially : the part of a population that is affected with a particular disease at a given time

Medical Definition

prevalence

noun

prev·​a·​lence ˈprev(-ə)-lən(t)s 

: the percentage of a population that is affected with a particular disease at a given time compare incidence sense 2b