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

One possible explanation for this is the dilution effect, which suggests that the prevalence of a pathogen can increase at a site if species richness is reduced—with land-use change being an obvious cause of species loss. —Geraldine Castro, WIRED, 20 Dec. 2024

This could perhaps explain why according to the MTS data, older women aged 35 to 50 years, maintained a lower prevalence of cannabis use than men, consistent with the past decade. —Sarah Sinclair, Forbes, 18 Dec. 2024

According the study, the prevalence of centenarians has been increasing in the past 20 years — the rate nearly doubled. —Chris Urso, Orlando Sentinel, 18 Dec. 2024

Government data, including the Census Bureau’s American Community Survey, typically obscure the prevalence of hefty paychecks by capping the level of wages reported. —Caroline Petrow-Cohen, Los Angeles Times, 16 Dec. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1682, in the meaning defined at sense 1

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