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
Population prevalence is reasonably stable, but people who once sailed under the radar are increasingly unable to cope and dropping out of school and the labor force at record numbers.
—
Nancy Doyle, Forbes.com, 25 June 2025
The Entry of Artificial Intelligence Microsoft's report comes as the world of work is being rapidly changed by the increasing prevalence of Artificial Intelligence.
—Marni Rose McFall, MSNBC Newsweek, 23 June 2025
In addition, building codes and regulations have long been tailored to wood-frame systems, further reinforcing their prevalence in the housing industry.
—Pablo Moyano Fernández, The Conversation, 23 June 2025
Amateur archaeologists uncover a mysterious ancient Roman artifact in England
Such panel designs were a common feature in Roman wall decoration, according to MOLA, but the prevalence of yellow panels was unusual.
—Willem Marx, NPR, 20 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for prevalence
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Nancy Doyle, Forbes.com, 25 June 2025
The Entry of Artificial Intelligence Microsoft's report comes as the world of work is being rapidly changed by the increasing prevalence of Artificial Intelligence.
—Marni Rose McFall, MSNBC Newsweek, 23 June 2025
In addition, building codes and regulations have long been tailored to wood-frame systems, further reinforcing their prevalence in the housing industry.
—Pablo Moyano Fernández, The Conversation, 23 June 2025
Amateur archaeologists uncover a mysterious ancient Roman artifact in England
Such panel designs were a common feature in Roman wall decoration, according to MOLA, but the prevalence of yellow panels was unusual.
—Willem Marx, NPR, 20 June 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 6 Jul. 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
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share