prevalent
/ˈprɛv.əl.ənt/ IELTSAcademic
adjective
Widespread or common in a place, time, or group. It describes something you often notice or find in many cases.
- Stress is prevalent among students.
- This habit is prevalent in cities.
- The disease is still prevalent here.
Adinary Nuance
Prevalent is close to common and widespread, but it often sounds more formal and more suitable for writing. Use common for everyday, ordinary things. Use widespread when something exists in many places or affects many people. Prevalent often fits reports, news, and academic writing better than casual speech.
In other languages
- Vietnamese
- phổ biến
- Spanish
- prevalente
- Chinese
- 普遍的
- Japanese
- 蔓延している
- Korean
- 널리 퍼진
Etymology
Prevalent comes from Latin praevalere, meaning “to be stronger” or “to prevail.” It entered English through French in the late 16th century.
Common phrases
prevalent in societyhighly prevalentprevalent problemprevalent belief
Synonyms
Related words
Frequently asked questions
- Is prevalent formal or informal?
- It is fairly formal. People use it more in writing, reports, and academic English.
- What is the difference between prevalent and common?
- Common is more everyday and general. Prevalent sounds more formal and often suggests something is widely seen or found.
- Can I say 'prevalent in'?
- Yes. 'Prevalent in' is a very common pattern, especially in formal writing.
- Is prevalent used for problems only?
- No. It can describe ideas, habits, diseases, and many other things that are widespread.