prevalence

noun

prev·a·lence | \ ˈpre-və-lən(t)s

, ˈprev-lən(t)s\

Definition of prevalence

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 & Antonyms Example Sentences Learn More about prevalence

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Examples of prevalence in a Sentence

the prevalence of rumors when hard information is withheld from the public

Recent Examples on the Web

Despite its prevalence, though, miscarriage is often still treated as a taboo subject. — Kristin Toussaint, Teen Vogue, "Why Miscarriages Should Be in All Sex Ed Lesson Plans," 18 Apr. 2019 The prevalence of depression, as well as other mental health conditions, underscores the importance of making behavioral health care a routine part of medical visits, Haywood says. — Jamie Ducharme, Time, "Depression Has Spiked By 33% In the Last Five Years, a New Report Says," 10 May 2018 This means that prevalence rates of the disease are always only estimates, with only a fraction of patients confirmed by laboratory test as actually harboring the virus. — William F. Bynum, WSJ, "‘Pandemic 1918’ and ‘Influenza’ Review: Fire, Ice or Virus?," 4 Jan. 2019 The number of pedestrian deaths in the U.S. reached a nearly 30-year high in 2018, according to a report being released Thursday that points to smartphone distraction and the growing prevalence of SUVs as possible factors. — Scott Calvert, WSJ, "Pedestrian Deaths Reach Highest Level in Nearly 30 Years," 28 Feb. 2019 The prevalence varies based on the exact area in question. — Zahra Barnes, SELF, "11 Things Everyone Should Know About Uncircumcised Penises," 29 Dec. 2018 In a 2012 paper, researchers found SNAP cut the prevalence of food insecurity by at least 13 percentage points. — Julia Belluz, Vox, "A new Trump rule could take food stamps away from 755,000 people," 20 Dec. 2018 The prevalence of nicotine vaping nearly doubled among 10th-graders as well, with nearly 1 in 6 using the electronic devices, researchers reported Monday in the New England Journal of Medicine. — Karen Kaplan, The Seattle Times, "Vaping among teens spikes, luring new generation of kids into tobacco use," 18 Dec. 2018 Despite the noted prevalence of more women nominees, artists including Ariana Grande, Taylor Swift, and the Carters are absent from many major categories, USA Today pointed out. — Lauren Rearick, Teen Vogue, "Grammys 2019 Nominations Include Multiple Nods for Ariana Grande and Dua Lipa," 7 Dec. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'prevalence.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.