prevalent
/ˈprɛv(ə)l(ə)nt
/adjective [attributive]
1Widespread in a particular area or at a particular time: the social ills prevalent in society today...
- This is just another example of the insidious prying into peoples' lives that is so prevalent in our society today.
- When not targeting suspected burglars' homes, the squad patrols areas where thefts are prevalent.
- Pilots have spoken of the dangerous winds prevalent in the area where the friends were last heard from.
Synonyms
widespread, prevailing, frequent, usual, common, general, universal, pervasive, extensive, ubiquitous, ordinary;
endemic, rampant, rife;
recognized, established, accepted;
current, popular, fashionable, in fashion, in style, in vogue
1.1 archaic Predominant; powerful.
Derivatives
prevalently
- It seems unnecessary for alcohol to infiltrate every single aspect of life quite so prevalently when many of the kids in class can't even legally buy alcohol.
- As you'd expect, the audience was prevalently female - the stampede for the loos during the intermission was a sight to see - but that wasn't a big deal.
- During the same period, this area of Italian Catholicism underwent enormous transformation, changing from a prevalently formal unified pattern to a prevalently pluralistic movement pattern.
Origin
Late 16th century: from Latin praevalent- 'having greater power', from the verb praevalere (see prevail).