prevalence

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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

See prevalence defined for kids

Examples of prevalence in a Sentence

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

Recent Examples of prevalence from the Web

As students are heading back to school, we are reminded of the prevalence of bullying.

— Cincinnati.com, "Column: Events at the Mount Washington Library," 30 Aug. 2017
According to the American Heart Association, the prevalence of high blood pressure in blacks is the highest in the world.

— william thornton, AL.com, "Auburn study: Black Americans sleep less than whites, leading to health problems," 2 Aug. 2017
Scientists in the CTE field say that much more research is now needed, including prospective studies to determine the incidence and prevalence of CTE both in football players and the wider population.

— meredith wadman, Science | AAAS, "Ninety-nine percent of ailing NFL player brains show hallmarks of neurodegenerative disease, autopsy study finds," 25 July 2017
The peak for kids born in 1974-78 was about 30 percent prevalence at age 5.

— cari romm, The Cut, "It’s Fine If Your Kid Doesn’t Want to Stick to a Bedtime," 18 July 2017
Miscarriages in particular are the most common type of pregnancy loss, with a prevalence of 15 to 20 percent, according to a study published in 2016 by Current Psychiatry Reports.

— valeria merino, The Courier-Journal, "New U of L app can help identify postpartum depression," 13 July 2017
Prevalence of antibiotic-resistant gonorrhoea is especially problematic given its prevalence: Some 78 million people are infected every year, according to the agency.

— Fortune, "Brainstorm Health Daily: July 7, 2017," 7 July 2017
Matey said for State Police, those factors include, but are not limited to: traffic and weather conditions, the speed of the suspect's vehicle, the recklessness displayed by the suspect's driving and the prevalence of pedestrians or bicyclists.

— emily lane, NOLA.com, "Toddler's death after State Police chase reignites debate on pursuits: 'No simple answer'," 30 June 2017
In Kansas, the prevalence of overweight dogs is nearly 7 percent higher than the national average.

— lisa gutierrez, kansascity.com, "Fat cats in Kansas reflect a growing U.S. epidemic of obese pets, experts warn," 28 June 2017

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.

First Known Use of prevalence

1682

prevalence Synonyms

Synonyms

commonness, frequence, frequentness, frequency

Antonyms

infrequence, infrequency, rareness, uncommonness, unusualness

Related Words

chronicity, constancy, continualness, regularity; appearance, incidence, occurrence

PREVALENCE Defined for Kids

prevalence

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noun prev·a·lence \ ˈpre-və-ləns \

Definition of prevalence for Students

:the state of happening, being accepted, or being practiced often or over a wide area

Medical Dictionary

prevalence

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noun prev·a·lence \ ˈprev(-ə)-lən(t)s \

medical Definition of prevalence

:the percentage of a population that is affected with a particular disease at a given time — compare incidence 2b

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Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for prevalence Spanish Central: Translation of prevalence Nglish: Translation of prevalence for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of prevalence for Arabic speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about prevalence

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PREVALENCE Defined for Kids

prevalence

Definition of prevalence for Students

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prevalence

medical Definition of prevalence

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