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
Perhaps the only notable shift in Nice’s infamous beach culture is a reduction in toplessness, thanks in part to the prevailing presence of camera phones.
—
Sloane Crosley, Travel + Leisure, 15 July 2025
Writers who draw on personal stories are often dogged by nonfiction’s prevailing imperative of factual precision.
—Rachel Vorona Cote, The Atlantic, 15 July 2025
This caution isn’t the problem; the problem is the prevailing Silicon Valley AI model, inherently unsuited for Washington's containment demands.
—Dean Debiase, Forbes.com, 14 July 2025
That approach amps up the comedy, especially the prevailing idea that the largely inoffensive Chad could be any kind of real threat to the staid little onstage community.
—Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 14 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for prevail
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Sloane Crosley, Travel + Leisure, 15 July 2025
Writers who draw on personal stories are often dogged by nonfiction’s prevailing imperative of factual precision.
—Rachel Vorona Cote, The Atlantic, 15 July 2025
This caution isn’t the problem; the problem is the prevailing Silicon Valley AI model, inherently unsuited for Washington's containment demands.
—Dean Debiase, Forbes.com, 14 July 2025
That approach amps up the comedy, especially the prevailing idea that the largely inoffensive Chad could be any kind of real threat to the staid little onstage community.
—Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 14 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for prevail
Cite this Entry
“Prevail.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/prevail. Accessed 22 Jul. 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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