prevalent

Intermediatezipf 3.78

Pronunciation

/ˈprɛvələnt/(PREV-uh-lunt)

Part of speech

adjectiveformal

Chinese

普遍存在的；流行的（强调广泛分布）

Definition

Widespread in a particular area or at a particular time.

Word family

  • prevalence/ˈprɛvələns/(n)流行程度
  • prevail/prɪˈveɪl/(v)盛行；占上风

Collocations

  • highly prevalent
  • prevalent among
  • prevalent belief
  • prevalent in

Examples

  1. 1.This disease is most prevalent among older adults. (widespread)
  2. 2.The belief that hard work guarantees success is still prevalent. (commonly held)

Synonyms

  • widespread/ˈwaɪdsprɛd/— neutral, broad reach
  • rampant/ˈræmpənt/— negative — uncontrolled spread
  • pervasive/pəˈveɪsɪv/— penetrating every area

Etymology

from Latin "praevalere" = to be stronger — what is stronger becomes more common