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 prevailing understanding of the direction of the Chinese economy and the reasons for its slowdown is of great importance to the United States and its allies and partners.
—
Daniel H. Rosen, Foreign Affairs, 13 Nov. 2023
Align your language, tone, and mannerisms with the prevailing atmosphere to ensure clear and empathetic communication.
—Mike S. Shapiro, Forbes, 13 Nov. 2023
When the northern stream is dominant, the prevailing storm track shifts to our west.
—Jason Samenow, Washington Post, 9 Nov. 2023
Most seem to feel it’s been the latter, with a prevailing sentiment that major-label releases have been lacking.
—Andre Gee, Rolling Stone, 7 Nov. 2023
Amo was largely considered to be the front-runner in the heavily blue district after prevailing in a very crowded special Democratic primary that included 12 candidates.
—Mike Pappano, ABC News, 7 Nov. 2023
The defense has attempted to show, in its clumsy way, that fantasy prevailed for everybody all the way down.
—Gideon Lewis-Kraus, The New Yorker, 3 Nov. 2023
On Thursday's episode of Today with Hoda & Jenna, Bush Hager, 41, celebrated the Texas Rangers' first-ever World Series victory, explaining the excitement her family felt watching their favorite team prevail over the Arizona Diamondbacks.
—Kyler Alvord, Peoplemag, 2 Nov. 2023
Twenty years ago, Democrats held most of those seats; now, Republicans occupy all 12, even in states where Democrats have prevailed in other statewide contests for governor, attorney general and the United States Senate, like North Carolina, West Virginia and Georgia.
—David W. Chen Jon Cherry, New York Times, 1 Nov. 2023
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Daniel H. Rosen, Foreign Affairs, 13 Nov. 2023
Align your language, tone, and mannerisms with the prevailing atmosphere to ensure clear and empathetic communication.
—Mike S. Shapiro, Forbes, 13 Nov. 2023
When the northern stream is dominant, the prevailing storm track shifts to our west.
—Jason Samenow, Washington Post, 9 Nov. 2023
Most seem to feel it’s been the latter, with a prevailing sentiment that major-label releases have been lacking.
—Andre Gee, Rolling Stone, 7 Nov. 2023
Amo was largely considered to be the front-runner in the heavily blue district after prevailing in a very crowded special Democratic primary that included 12 candidates.
—Mike Pappano, ABC News, 7 Nov. 2023
The defense has attempted to show, in its clumsy way, that fantasy prevailed for everybody all the way down.
—Gideon Lewis-Kraus, The New Yorker, 3 Nov. 2023
On Thursday's episode of Today with Hoda & Jenna, Bush Hager, 41, celebrated the Texas Rangers' first-ever World Series victory, explaining the excitement her family felt watching their favorite team prevail over the Arizona Diamondbacks.
—Kyler Alvord, Peoplemag, 2 Nov. 2023
Twenty years ago, Democrats held most of those seats; now, Republicans occupy all 12, even in states where Democrats have prevailed in other statewide contests for governor, attorney general and the United States Senate, like North Carolina, West Virginia and Georgia.
—David W. Chen Jon Cherry, New York Times, 1 Nov. 2023
See More
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'prevail.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
Phrases Containing prevail
Dictionary Entries Near prevail
Cite this Entry
“Prevail.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/prevail. Accessed 28 Nov. 2023.
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Kids 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
More from Merriam-Webster on prevail
Nglish: Translation of prevail for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of prevail for Arabic Speakers
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