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

Synonyms

• commonness
• frequence
• frequency
• frequentness

Examples of prevalence in a Sentence

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

Recent Examples on the Web

However, according to this study, after the age of 60, women’s risk and prevalence of hypertension eventually exceed that of men.1 Is Eating One Banana a Day Enough? —Maggie O'Neill, Verywell Health, 19 May 2025

With the prevalence of side gigs and freelance work in today’s economy, many people are small-business owners without even realizing it. —Vlad Rusz, Forbes.com, 15 May 2025

The study also breaks down the progress for women narrative directors at each festival by year, whether their films were shown in competition, a breakdown of representation by race/ethnicity and the prevalence of nonbinary directors. —Angelique Jackson, Variety, 12 May 2025

Data from 711 municipal wells provided by the Minnesota Geospatial Information Office was also used to determine the correlation between proximity and prevalence of cases. —Hollie Silverman, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 May 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1682, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for prevalence

• benevolence
• malevolence
• seroprevalence

Kids 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