Dictionary

prevail en · VERB

Pronunciation

• (US) audio
• /pɹɪˈvæɪl/ (Australia)
• /pɹɪˈveɪl/ (Canada, General-American, Received-Pronunciation)
• /pɹəˈvæɪl/ (New-Zealand)

Etymology

From Middle English prevailen, from Old French prevaler, from Latin praevaleō (“be very able or more able, be superior, prevail”), from prae (“before”) + valeō (“be able or powerful”). Displaced native Old English rīcsian.

Meanings

1. (intransitive) To be superior in strength, dominance, influence, or frequency; to have or gain the advantage over others; to have the upper hand; to outnumber others.
   • Sunny skies will prevail across the Northeast.
   • Red colour prevails in the Canadian flag.
   • Liverpool created a host of chances and had a Joel Matip goal ruled out for a foul and offside in an incident-packed game that went right down to the wire before Jurgen Klopp's side prevailed. 2022 February 27, Phil McNulty, “Chelsea 0-0 Liverpool”, in BBC Sport:
   • And it came to pass, when Moses held up his hand, that Israel prevailed; and when he let down his hand, Amalek prevailed. 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Exodus 17:11:
2. (intransitive) To triumph; to be victorious.
   • Zakharova also made light of Moore’s claims that Russia will not be able to regain momentum in the war after the MI6 chief said he was”optimistic”^([sic]) Ukraine would prevail against the Russian invasion. 2023 July 19, Nick Paton Walsh and Katharina Krebs, “MI6 chief makes open plea to Russians to spy for UK”, in CNN:
   • There are a number of SCPs and tales that look at potential apocalypses, but rarely with such totality as SCP-2935, a parallel dimension in which death prevailed. 2019 January 14, “Exploring the SCP Foundation: SCP-2935 - O, Death” (0:36 from the start), in The Exploring Series, archived from the original on 25 Mar 2023:
3. (intransitive) To be current, widespread, or predominant; to have currency or prevalence.
   • In his day and age, such practices prevailed all over Europe.
4. (intransitive, often, with upon or on) To succeed in persuading or inducing.
   • Jones began to be very importunate with the lady to unmask; and at length having prevailed, there appeared not Mrs Fitzpatrick, but the Lady Bellaston herself. 1749, Henry Fielding, The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling:
   • I prevailed on him to wait.
5. (obsolete, transitive) To avail.

Forms

Deriveds

prevail upon · cooler heads prevail · prevailer · cooler heads must prevail · prevailment · cool heads must prevail · cool heads prevail · cooler heads will prevail · saner heads will prevail · cool heads will prevail · saner heads prevail

Relateds

prevalence · prevalent

Translations (69)

fr dominer (To be superior in strength, dominance, influence or frequency; to have or gain the advantage over others; to have the upper hand) · sv förhärska (To be current, widespread or predominant; to have currency or prevalence) · ro impune (To be superior in strength, dominance, influence or frequency; to have or gain the advantage over others; to have the upper hand) · de die Vorherrschaft erringen (over über) (To be superior in strength, dominance, influence or frequency; to have or gain the advantage over others; to have the upper hand) · ru уговори́ть (To succeed in persuading or inducing) · fr l'emporter (To be superior in strength, dominance, influence or frequency; to have or gain the advantage over others; to have the upper hand) · ru доминировать (To be superior in strength, dominance, influence or frequency; to have or gain the advantage over others; to have the upper hand) · fi taivutella (To succeed in persuading or inducing) · ta நிலவு (To be current, widespread or predominant; to have currency or prevalence) · de überzeugen (To succeed in persuading or inducing) · bg убеждавам (To succeed in persuading or inducing) · sq ngadhënjej (To be superior in strength, dominance, influence or frequency; to have or gain the advantage over others; to have the upper hand) · ang rīcsian (To be superior in strength, dominance, influence or frequency; to have or gain the advantage over others; to have the upper hand) · de weit verbreitet sein (To be current, widespread or predominant; to have currency or prevalence) · ang rīcsian (To be current, widespread or predominant; to have currency or prevalence) · de dominieren (To be superior in strength, dominance, influence or frequency; to have or gain the advantage over others; to have the upper hand) · cs převážit (To be superior in strength, dominance, influence or frequency; to have or gain the advantage over others; to have the upper hand) · es prevalecer (To be superior in strength, dominance, influence or frequency; to have or gain the advantage over others; to have the upper hand) · pt prevalecer (To be current, widespread or predominant; to have currency or prevalence) · oc persuadir (To succeed in persuading or inducing) · ro predomina (To be current, widespread or predominant; to have currency or prevalence) · ru преобладать (To be current, widespread or predominant; to have currency or prevalence) · bg уговарям (To succeed in persuading or inducing) · nl domineren (To be superior in strength, dominance, influence or frequency; to have or gain the advantage over others; to have the upper hand) · oc predominar (To be current, widespread or predominant; to have currency or prevalence) · nl overwinnen (To be superior in strength, dominance, influence or frequency; to have or gain the advantage over others; to have the upper hand) · ru убеди́ть (To succeed in persuading or inducing) · ru одержать победу (To be superior in strength, dominance, influence or frequency; to have or gain the advantage over others; to have the upper hand) · nl zegevieren (To be superior in strength, dominance, influence or frequency; to have or gain the advantage over others; to have the upper hand) · de überzeugen können (To succeed in persuading or inducing) · bg преобладавам (To be current, widespread or predominant; to have currency or prevalence) · sa सहते (To be superior in strength, dominance, influence or frequency; to have or gain the advantage over others; to have the upper hand) · cs převládat (To be superior in strength, dominance, influence or frequency; to have or gain the advantage over others; to have the upper hand) · ru превалировать (To be current, widespread or predominant; to have currency or prevalence) · nl overtuigen (To succeed in persuading or inducing) · it predominare (To be current, widespread or predominant; to have currency or prevalence) · de obsiegen [jur.] (To be superior in strength, dominance, influence or frequency; to have or gain the advantage over others; to have the upper hand) · ru доминировать (To be current, widespread or predominant; to have currency or prevalence) · bg преодолявам (To be superior in strength, dominance, influence or frequency; to have or gain the advantage over others; to have the upper hand) · es prevalecer (To be current, widespread or predominant; to have currency or prevalence) · de siegen (über) (To be superior in strength, dominance, influence or frequency; to have or gain the advantage over others; to have the upper hand) · de überwiegen (To be superior in strength, dominance, influence or frequency; to have or gain the advantage over others; to have the upper hand) · nl overheersen (To be current, widespread or predominant; to have currency or prevalence) · ar يسود (To be superior in strength, dominance, influence or frequency; to have or gain the advantage over others; to have the upper hand) · oc prevaler (To be superior in strength, dominance, influence or frequency; to have or gain the advantage over others; to have the upper hand) · de überreden (To succeed in persuading or inducing) · pt predominar (To be current, widespread or predominant; to have currency or prevalence) · de sich durchsetzen (To be superior in strength, dominance, influence or frequency; to have or gain the advantage over others; to have the upper hand) · fr prévaloir (To be superior in strength, dominance, influence or frequency; to have or gain the advantage over others; to have the upper hand) · ru госпо́дствовать (To be superior in strength, dominance, influence or frequency; to have or gain the advantage over others; to have the upper hand) · ru госпо́дствовать (To be current, widespread or predominant; to have currency or prevalence) · cs převládat (To be current, widespread or predominant; to have currency or prevalence) · oc convéncer (To succeed in persuading or inducing) · it persuadere (To succeed in persuading or inducing) · es vencer (To be superior in strength, dominance, influence or frequency; to have or gain the advantage over others; to have the upper hand) · de maßgebend sein (To be current, widespread or predominant; to have currency or prevalence) · de vorherrschen (To be current, widespread or predominant; to have currency or prevalence) · la pervincō (To succeed in persuading or inducing) · pt prevalecer (To be superior in strength, dominance, influence or frequency; to have or gain the advantage over others; to have the upper hand) · fi suostutella (To succeed in persuading or inducing) · oc prevaler (To be current, widespread or predominant; to have currency or prevalence) · it prevalere (To be superior in strength, dominance, influence or frequency; to have or gain the advantage over others; to have the upper hand) · fr prévaloir (To be current, widespread or predominant; to have currency or prevalence) · pt predominar (To be superior in strength, dominance, influence or frequency; to have or gain the advantage over others; to have the upper hand) · fr persuader (To succeed in persuading or inducing) · nv dah honiłné (To be superior in strength, dominance, influence or frequency; to have or gain the advantage over others; to have the upper hand) · grc ἰσχύω (To be superior in strength, dominance, influence or frequency; to have or gain the advantage over others; to have the upper hand) · ru восторжествовать (To be superior in strength, dominance, influence or frequency; to have or gain the advantage over others; to have the upper hand) · fr prédominer (To be current, widespread or predominant; to have currency or prevalence)