EN

Synonyms for prevailing

  • adjective

Most common

usual dominant prevalent predominant wide-spread pervasive

All synonyms

Adjective

1. Predominant — prevalent, common, widespread

current, predominant, prevalent, dominant, common, epidemic, rife, usual, ruling, relevant, ordinary, ascendant, ubiquitous, pandemic, exoteric, regnant

Other

wide-spread, pervasive, victorious, influential, effectual

Definitions

  1. adj. 1

    Prevalent, common, widespread.

Choose the right word

or Prevailing?

What actually prevails is prevailing; as, the prevailing winds are west. Hence, prevailing is the livelier and more pointed word, since it represents a thing in action.

Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913)

Example sentences

  • usual Jack isn't here. He may have missed his usual bus.
  • dominant As a dominant, I need aftercare after some scenes.
  • prevalent Plastic is the most prevalent type of marine debris.
  • predominant Islam is Algeria's predominant religion.
  • pervasive Cares and worries were pervasive in her mind.

Popularity over time

Word1850 → 2019Trend
prevailingfalling
usualsteady
dominantrising
prevalentsteady
predominantfalling

Use in printed books, per decade from 1850 to 2019.

By length

4 letters
rife1
5 letters
usual3
6 letters
common2, ruling2
7 letters
current2, regnant
8 letters
relevant3, ordinary4, dominant3, epidemic4, pandemic3, exoteric
9 letters
prevalent3, pervasive3, ascendant3, effectual
10 letters
victorious4, ubiquitous4
11 letters
influential4, predominant4

The small number after each word is its number of syllables (usual3 = 3 syllables).