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
Examples of prevalence in a Sentence
the prevalence of rumors when hard information is withheld from the public
Recent Examples on the Web
Arizona's low overall ranking was influenced by poor access to care and a high prevalence of youth mental illness.
—
Ray Stern, AZCentral.com, 2 Oct. 2025
An accidental crash outside a 7-Eleven in Bensenville, Illinois, in 2017 caused a Chicago-area pedestrian to lose both his legs, but more than that, the resulting lawsuit helped illustrate the prevalence of these crashes.
—Frank Witsil, Freep.com, 1 Oct. 2025
These were evaluated using 28 specific metrics that included everything from the cost of groceries and restaurant meals to the number of restaurants and gourmet food stores per capita, the prevalence of farmers' markets, and access to healthy food options.
—Soo Kim, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Sep. 2025
The authors acknowledged several limitations that hinder precise conclusions about bacterial prevalence in ancient mammoth populations.
—Pranjal Malewar, New Atlas, 30 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for prevalence
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Ray Stern, AZCentral.com, 2 Oct. 2025
An accidental crash outside a 7-Eleven in Bensenville, Illinois, in 2017 caused a Chicago-area pedestrian to lose both his legs, but more than that, the resulting lawsuit helped illustrate the prevalence of these crashes.
—Frank Witsil, Freep.com, 1 Oct. 2025
These were evaluated using 28 specific metrics that included everything from the cost of groceries and restaurant meals to the number of restaurants and gourmet food stores per capita, the prevalence of farmers' markets, and access to healthy food options.
—Soo Kim, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Sep. 2025
The authors acknowledged several limitations that hinder precise conclusions about bacterial prevalence in ancient mammoth populations.
—Pranjal Malewar, New Atlas, 30 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for prevalence
Cite this Entry
“Prevalence.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/prevalence. Accessed 5 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationKids 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
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