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

A lot of the anti-woke people describe wokeness as this kind of major threat to Western civilization, to the prevailing order. —Sean Illing, Vox, 9 Nov. 2024

The company anticipates using or redeploying cash resources to support its business within the context of prevailing market conditions. —Quartz Bot, Quartz, 8 Nov. 2024

The gap narrowed as the race got closer, but Figures prevailed nonetheless. —Curtis Bunn, NBC News, 6 Nov. 2024

Dell Cameron 4 hours ago The GOP's final message to voters now somehow includes a promise to remove fluoride from America's drinking water, thanks to Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a vaccine skeptic who's reportedly been promised a prominent White House role should Trump prevail. —WIRED, 4 Nov. 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