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
Seeing all the threats ahead creates a special kind of anxiety, almost a helplessness for fans who are breathlessly waiting to see if their heroes can prevail.
—
Christopher Cruz, Rolling Stone, 22 Feb. 2025
The prevailing wisdom on Wall Street is that that’s a high hurdle for stocks.
—CNBC, 18 Feb. 2025
Defining him as an advisor rather that the person in charge of day-to-day operations at DOGE could help the administration prevail in a lawsuit arguing that Musk has too much power for someone who isn’t elected or Senate-confirmed.
—Lindsay Whitehurst, Los Angeles Times, 18 Feb. 2025
The development of the situation also proved that China's proposition is objective, impartial, rational and pragmatic, and represents the prevailing consensus in the international community.
—Matt Robison, Newsweek, 18 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for prevail
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Christopher Cruz, Rolling Stone, 22 Feb. 2025
The prevailing wisdom on Wall Street is that that’s a high hurdle for stocks.
—CNBC, 18 Feb. 2025
Defining him as an advisor rather that the person in charge of day-to-day operations at DOGE could help the administration prevail in a lawsuit arguing that Musk has too much power for someone who isn’t elected or Senate-confirmed.
—Lindsay Whitehurst, Los Angeles Times, 18 Feb. 2025
The development of the situation also proved that China's proposition is objective, impartial, rational and pragmatic, and represents the prevailing consensus in the international community.
—Matt Robison, Newsweek, 18 Feb. 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 1 Mar. 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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