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 matchup between two incumbents drew national attention, but Nadler prevailed handily in the primary, effectively securing another term in the heavily Democratic seat.
—
Gabe Whisnant, MSNBC Newsweek, 2 Sep. 2025
At the time, the prevailing attitude was that the bigger the conglomerate, the more companies would save through sharing services like accounting, said Russell Zwanka, an associate professor of food marketing at Western Michigan University.
—Dee-Ann Durbin, Chicago Tribune, 2 Sep. 2025
Unlike therapy, where caution and hierarchy prevail, Dubin finds coaching to be a more egalitarian space.
—Rodger Dean Duncan, Forbes.com, 2 Sep. 2025
Trump’s attempt to rehabilitate Bolsonaro is also out of step with prevailing political sentiments in Brazil.
—Hussein Kalout, Foreign Affairs, 2 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for prevail
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Gabe Whisnant, MSNBC Newsweek, 2 Sep. 2025
At the time, the prevailing attitude was that the bigger the conglomerate, the more companies would save through sharing services like accounting, said Russell Zwanka, an associate professor of food marketing at Western Michigan University.
—Dee-Ann Durbin, Chicago Tribune, 2 Sep. 2025
Unlike therapy, where caution and hierarchy prevail, Dubin finds coaching to be a more egalitarian space.
—Rodger Dean Duncan, Forbes.com, 2 Sep. 2025
Trump’s attempt to rehabilitate Bolsonaro is also out of step with prevailing political sentiments in Brazil.
—Hussein Kalout, Foreign Affairs, 2 Sep. 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 9 Sep. 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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