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 of prevalence

• 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

During the Covid-19 pandemic, when many families were spending more time at home together, Fishel saw a resurgence in the prevalence of family dinners. —Elise Haulund, CNN Money, 16 June 2026

Set a schedule based on seasonality and the prevalence of weeds in your garden. —Patricia Shannon, Southern Living, 14 June 2026

This prevalence equals about one in nine seniors who have been diagnosed with this brain altering disease. —Wendy Coschignano-Ford, The Orlando Sentinel, 13 June 2026

For example, the Ukrainian military has been deploying battlefield robots and drones with their own visual positioning systems to survive the prevalence of GPS jamming in the ongoing Russo-Ukrainian war. —Jeremy Hsu, ArsTechnica, 12 June 2026

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