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
The predator, perfectly attuned to the environment, will almost always prevail.
—
Scott Travers, Forbes, 5 Jan. 2025
The facts will be addressed in court, where truth—not fiction — will prevail.
—Kc Baker, People.com, 4 Jan. 2025
The facts will be addressed in court, where truth—not fiction—will prevail.
—Dan Perry, Newsweek, 4 Jan. 2025
High spirits also prevail in the apartment that Chantelle shares with her two grown daughters, Kayla (Ani Nelson) and Aleisha (Sophia Brown); in one playful sequence, the three of them all but fall over one another laughing, their mood as bright as their pajamas.
—Justin Chang, The New Yorker, 3 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for prevail 
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Scott Travers, Forbes, 5 Jan. 2025
The facts will be addressed in court, where truth—not fiction — will prevail.
—Kc Baker, People.com, 4 Jan. 2025
The facts will be addressed in court, where truth—not fiction—will prevail.
—Dan Perry, Newsweek, 4 Jan. 2025
High spirits also prevail in the apartment that Chantelle shares with her two grown daughters, Kayla (Ani Nelson) and Aleisha (Sophia Brown); in one playful sequence, the three of them all but fall over one another laughing, their mood as bright as their pajamas.
—Justin Chang, The New Yorker, 3 Jan. 2025
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 18 Jan. 2025.
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
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