prevailed; prevailing; prevails
1
: to gain ascendancy through strength or superiority : triumph
2
: to be or become effective or effectual
3
: to use persuasion successfully
prevailed on him to sing
4
: to be frequent : predominate
the west winds that prevail in the mountains
5
: to be or continue in use or fashion : persist
a custom that still prevails
Examples of prevail in a Sentence
Mutual respect prevails among students and teachers here.
The house was built in the style that prevailed in the 1980s.
The law still prevails in some states.
Recent Examples on the Web
The prevailing viewpoint is that once intelligence begins feeding off other intelligence, a rapid chain reaction will arise.
—
Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 1 July 2025
Much of the premature optimism about a settlement earlier this year sprang from the prevailing belief that Ukraine was losing and would soon be forced to negotiate out of desperation.
—Michael Carpenter, Foreign Affairs, 1 July 2025
Still, any desire to dampen the prevailing fever pitch has yet to materialize.
—Paolo Santalucia, Chicago Tribune, 27 June 2025
The babyfaces, in most cases, are the stars of the show, the ones who prevail in the end.
—Marc Raimondi
june 25, Literary Hub, 25 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for prevail
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Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 1 July 2025
Much of the premature optimism about a settlement earlier this year sprang from the prevailing belief that Ukraine was losing and would soon be forced to negotiate out of desperation.
—Michael Carpenter, Foreign Affairs, 1 July 2025
Still, any desire to dampen the prevailing fever pitch has yet to materialize.
—Paolo Santalucia, Chicago Tribune, 27 June 2025
The babyfaces, in most cases, are the stars of the show, the ones who prevail in the end.
—Marc Raimondi
june 25, Literary Hub, 25 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for prevail
Cite this Entry
“Prevail.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/prevail. Accessed 18 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
prevail
verb
pre·vail
pri-ˈvā(ə)l 
1
: to win against opposition : be successful
our team prevailed
truth will prevail over error
believed injustice should not prevail
2
: to urge successfully
prevailed upon me to play a few tunes
3
a
: to be frequent
the storms that prevail there in winter
b
: to be or continue to be in use or fashion
lower rates prevail in the evening
customs that still prevail
Legal Definition
prevail
intransitive verb
pre·vail
pri-ˈvāl
1
: to obtain substantially the relief or action sought in a lawsuit
2
: to be frequent or predominant
the prevailing rate
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