prevail

verb

pre·​vail pri-ˈvāl 

prevailed; prevailing; prevails

intransitive verb

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

Synonyms

• conquer
• triumph
• win

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

There would be little else for fans of Ohtani and the Dodgers to cheer for in Game 4, as the Yankees prevailed 11-4, but the excitement is sure to return for Game 5 on Wednesday (Thursday morning in Japan) at Yankee Stadium in the Bronx. —Yumi Asada, CNN, 30 Oct. 2024

Artifact’s credibility within the EDM community prevails with each musical release. —Spin Contributor, SPIN, 30 Oct. 2024

But the voters prevailed before the Pennsylvania Supreme Court, which ruled in a 4-3 decision that boards of elections must count provisional ballots cast by voters whose mail ballots are rejected for lacking secrecy envelopes. —Melissa Quinn, CBS News, 28 Oct. 2024

Even in the face of the existential threat that the Civil War posed to U.S. democracy, the fundamental principles outlined in the Constitution prevailed and order was ultimately restored. —Meg Little Reilly, Forbes, 28 Oct. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Latin praevalēre, from prae- pre- + valēre to be strong — more at wield

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Phrases Containing prevail

• cooler heads prevail
• prevail on/upon

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