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prevailing

[pri-vey-ling] / prɪˈveɪ lɪŋ /


Usage

What are other ways to say prevailing?

The adjective prevailing refers to that which has superseded others in its presence: prevailing fashion. That which is prevalent exists or is spread widely: a prevalent idea. That which is current is in general circulation or a matter of common knowledge or acceptance: current usage in English. 


Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Reflecting prevailing operating conditions, Sodexo downgraded its targets for the current fiscal year and said that this was a necessary step to restore the group’s competitiveness at scale.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 10, 2026

His line-break helped Exeter apply the territorial pressure that led to Vintcent going over, with Slade superbly using the prevailing wind to kick a tricky conversion.

From BBC • Apr. 4, 2026

Kingsley previously played Moses in an eponymously-titled 1995 production for TNT, part of a 27-installment collection that ended in 2002 with “Apocalypse” – an appropriate subject, perhaps, considering the time’s prevailing anxieties.

From Salon • Mar. 29, 2026

“I wouldn’t be surprised if the prevailing wisdom there is we better not endorse anybody, because we don’t want to tilt this one way or the other.”

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 29, 2026

Once again, complicity with the prevailing system of control may seem like the only option.

From "The New Jim Crow" by Michelle Alexander




Vocabulary lists containing prevailing