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 increasing prevalence of social media platforms in people’s lives and in this year’s re-election of Donald Trump as U.S. President helps explains the popularity of polarization as a word to look up, just as people’s opinions, beliefs and allegiances increasingly land on political extremes. —Etan Vlessing, The Hollywood Reporter, 9 Dec. 2024

Then, adjusting for risk factors associated with personal, lifestyle and diet, the researchers – looking at data spanning a quarter of a century – found that type 2 diabetes prevalence was lowest in those who ate five serves of dark chocolate a week. —New Atlas, 7 Dec. 2024

Embrace Conflict Through Gradual Exposure During his initial foray into management, Insel recognized the prevalence of avoidance. —Tarun Galagali, Forbes, 5 Dec. 2024

And the prevalence of personal and home security perquisites among S&P 500 companies have been on a steady rise since 2018, data from Esgauge shows. —Brooke Seipel, Fortune, 4 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