prevailed; prevailing; prevails
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
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
See all Example Sentences for prevail 
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
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
See all Example Sentences for prevail
Dictionary Entries Near prevail
Cite this Entry
“Prevail.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/prevail. Accessed 22 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationKids 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
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share