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

The growing prevalence of physical AI applications is expected to increase compute requirements, and Moore pointed out that this trend could in turn increase demand for silicon, systems, memory and other machines. —Melody Brue, Forbes.com, 2 Apr. 2025

That's being challenged now in so many ways—in the realm of AI and the prevalence of misinformation as a weapon, whether on social media or in politics and elsewhere. —Corey Seymour, Vogue, 28 Mar. 2025

The trial — part of a broader upheaval over the prevalence of forgeries in the worlds of art and antiques — is slated to continue into next month. —Ephrat Livni, New York Times, 26 Mar. 2025

Some countries, like Brazil and France, have already implemented public health campaigns warning against UPFs while leading health organizations advocate for policy changes to limit their prevalence in schools and workplaces. —Ximena Araya-Fischel, Forbes, 25 Mar. 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