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 spectacle comported with the prevailing views of this ensemble’s antisemitism, but its sheer brazenness catapulted them to a new level of mainstream notoriety.
—
Dan Adler, Vanity Fair, 11 Mar. 2026
On that morning, the national flag was raised over the city for the first time, and a festive atmosphere prevailed, with workers and politicians, adults and children celebrating in the streets.
—Sophia La Banca, JSTOR Daily, 11 Mar. 2026
Antitrust law also tends to favor defendants (such as the NCAA), with data indicating that defendants prevail roughly 97% of the time and need only show that a restraint on competition is reasonable.
—Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 10 Mar. 2026
But Pitt prevailed largely on the strength of a 20-7 advantage on the offensive boards, outscoring Stanford 25-7 in second-chance points and by 12 in the paint.
—Laurence Miedema, Mercury News, 10 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for prevail
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Dan Adler, Vanity Fair, 11 Mar. 2026
On that morning, the national flag was raised over the city for the first time, and a festive atmosphere prevailed, with workers and politicians, adults and children celebrating in the streets.
—Sophia La Banca, JSTOR Daily, 11 Mar. 2026
Antitrust law also tends to favor defendants (such as the NCAA), with data indicating that defendants prevail roughly 97% of the time and need only show that a restraint on competition is reasonable.
—Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 10 Mar. 2026
But Pitt prevailed largely on the strength of a 20-7 advantage on the offensive boards, outscoring Stanford 25-7 in second-chance points and by 12 in the paint.
—Laurence Miedema, Mercury News, 10 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for prevail
Cite this Entry
“Prevail.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/prevail. Accessed 13 Mar. 2026.
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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