prevalence
noun
prev·a·lence
ˈpre-və-lən(t)s 
ˈprev-lən(t)s
1
: the quality or state of being prevalent
2
: the degree to which something is prevalent
especially
: the percentage of a population that is affected with a particular disease at a given time
Examples of prevalence in a Sentence
the prevalence of rumors when hard information is withheld from the public
Recent Examples on the Web
But despite its prevalence, for too many years research funding into endometriosis has lagged.
—
Helen Carefoot, Flow Space, 30 Dec. 2025
The author also emphasized the importance of human connection in his own work as a mentalist, especially given the rising prevalence of artificial intelligence.
—Carly Tagen-Dye, PEOPLE, 30 Dec. 2025
The study also found that obesity prevalence increased sharply with age and was higher among Hispanic adults though rates were similar between men and women.
—Mary Kekatos, ABC News, 29 Dec. 2025
Largely using urine drug-testing lab results, the system contains data from tens of thousands of tests per month that show the prevalence and trends of specific types of drugs statewide and at local levels.
—Angie Dimichele, Miami Herald, 26 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for prevalence
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.
Helen Carefoot, Flow Space, 30 Dec. 2025
The author also emphasized the importance of human connection in his own work as a mentalist, especially given the rising prevalence of artificial intelligence.
—Carly Tagen-Dye, PEOPLE, 30 Dec. 2025
The study also found that obesity prevalence increased sharply with age and was higher among Hispanic adults though rates were similar between men and women.
—Mary Kekatos, ABC News, 29 Dec. 2025
Largely using urine drug-testing lab results, the system contains data from tens of thousands of tests per month that show the prevalence and trends of specific types of drugs statewide and at local levels.
—Angie Dimichele, Miami Herald, 26 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for prevalence
Cite this Entry
“Prevalence.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/prevalence. Accessed 3 Jan. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
prevalence
noun
prev·a·lence
ˈprev(-ə)-lən(t)s
1
: the state of being prevalent
2
: the degree to which something is prevalent
especially
: the part of a population that is affected with a particular disease at a given time
Medical Definition
prevalence
noun
prev·a·lence
ˈprev(-ə)-lən(t)s
: the percentage of a population that is affected with a particular disease at a given time compare incidence sense 2b
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share