prevail

English

Alternative forms

prævail, prævaile, prævale (obsolete)

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.

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /pɹɪˈveɪl/
Audio (US) (file)
Rhymes: -eɪl
Hyphenation: pre‧vail

Verb

prevail (third-person singular simple present prevails, present participle prevailing, simple past and past participle prevailed)

(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.
Red colour prevails in the Canadian flag.
- 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], OCLC 964384981, Exodus 17:11:
  And it came to pass, when Moses held up his hand, that Israel prevailed; and when he let down his hand, Amalek prevailed.
- 2022 February 27, Phil McNulty, “Chelsea 0-0 Liverpool”, in BBC Sport‎:
  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.
(intransitive) To be current, widespread or predominant; to have currency or prevalence.
In his day and age, such practices prevailed all over Europe.
(intransitive) To succeed in persuading or inducing.
I prevailed on him to wait.
- 1749, Henry Fielding, The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling:
  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.
(transitive, obsolete) To avail.

Derived terms

cooler heads will prevail

Related terms

prevalence
prevalent

Translations

To be superior in strength, dominance, influence or frequency; to have or gain the advantage over others; to have the upper hand

Albanian: ngadhënjej (sq)
Arabic: يسود‎ (yassod)
Bulgarian: преодолявам (bg) (preodoljavam)
Czech: převládat
Dutch: overwinnen (nl), domineren (nl), zegevieren (nl),
French: dominer (fr), prévaloir (fr), l'emporter (fr)
German: die Vorherrschaft erringen (over über), sich durchsetzen (against gegen)
Greek:
Ancient: ἰσχύω (iskhúō)
Italian: prevalere (it)
Navajo: dah honiłné
Occitan: prevaler
Old English: rīcsian
Portuguese: prevalecer, predominar (pt)
Romanian: impune (ro)
Russian: восторжествовать (ru) (vostoržestvovatʹ), одержать победу (oderžatʹ pobedu), госпо́дствовать (ru) (gospódstvovatʹ), доминировать (ru) (dominirovatʹ)
Sanskrit: सहते (sa) (sahate)
Spanish: prevalecer (es), vencer (es)

To be current, widespread or predominant; to have currency or prevalence

Bulgarian: преобладавам (bg) (preobladavam)
Czech: převládat
Dutch: overheersen (nl)
French: prédominer (fr), prévaloir (fr)
German: vorherrschen (de)
Italian: predominare (it)
Occitan: prevaler, predominar
Old English: rīcsian
Portuguese: prevalecer, predominar (pt)
Romanian: predomina (ro)
Russian: преобладать (ru) (preobladatʹ), госпо́дствовать (ru) (gospódstvovatʹ), превалировать (ru) (prevalirovatʹ), доминировать (ru) (dominirovatʹ)
Spanish: prevalecer (es)
Swedish: förhärska

To succeed in persuading or inducing

Bulgarian: уговарям (bg) (ugovarjam), убеждавам (bg) (ubeždavam)
Dutch: overtuigen (nl)
Finnish: taivutella (fi), suostutella (fi)
French: persuader (fr)
German: überzeugen können
Italian: persuadere (it)
Occitan: convéncer (oc), persuadir (oc)
Russian: убеди́ть (ru) (ubedítʹ), уговори́ть (ru) (ugovorítʹ)

References

prevail in The Century Dictionary, New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911
prevail in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913

Anagrams

pervial