prevail
verb
pre·vail
| \ pri-ˈvāl
\
\
prevailed;
prevailing;
prevails
Definition of prevail
1
: to gain ascendancy through strength or superiority : triumph
2
: to be or become effective or effectual
3
: to use persuasion successfully
prevailed on him to sing
4
: to be frequent : predominate
the west winds that prevail in the mountains
5
: to be or continue in use or fashion : persist
a custom that still prevails
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Examples of prevail in a Sentence
Mutual respect prevails among students and teachers here.
The house was built in the style that prevailed in the 1980s.
The law still prevails in some states.
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Recent Examples on the Web
Cappello recently prevailed in a case in which a company that rented a paddleboard to a man who drowned in Santa Barbara Harbor had asserted the liability protection. — Washington Post, "Boat owners seek to head off lawsuits after 34 die in fire," 6 Sep. 2019 On downtown Fort Lauderdale’s tourist-beckoning Las Olas Boulevard, caution prevailed. — Ben Crandell, sun-sentinel.com, "A day of questioning Hurricane Dorian: It’s going to turn, right?," 2 Sep. 2019 An air of bibulous bonhomie prevailed, and there was a spirit of geographic camaraderie. — Beth Segal, cleveland.com, "Thyme Table: Sage decisions can make for a great meal in Bay Village," 30 Aug. 2019 But the 23-time major champion prevailed, advancing with a 5-7, 6-3, 6-1 win in one hour, 54 minutes. — Jill Martin, CNN, "Serena Williams fights off teenager Caty McNally to advance to US Open 3rd round," 29 Aug. 2019 But like every step before it, Ocando prevailed. His fight continued and since then, Ocando has acted as a legal consultant for the Venezuelan soccer league, Go Pro Sports Management and now teaches sports law at Florida Global University. — Drake Hills, azcentral, "Phoenix Rising FC helps sports lawyer from Venezuela embrace new home in Tempe," 27 Aug. 2019 In Indiana, Silver Creek prevailed in a rivalry game. — Gentry Estes, The Courier-Journal, "It was an ugly scene, but don't vilify all Colts fans for booing Andrew Luck's retirement," 26 Aug. 2019 In the end, the Gators prevailed 15-8 in the season opener with the help of two touchdown passes by quarterback Garrett Castro, who completed 15 of 22 passes for 180 yards and threw an interception. — Daily Pilot, "Huntington Beach football can’t hold onto early lead, drops opener to Green Valley," 23 Aug. 2019 In six of them—Arizona, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, North Carolina, and Wisconsin—the number of Native Americans who are eligible to vote is about equal to or exceeds the margin of victory by which, in 2016, each state’s victor prevailed. — Eren Orbey, The New Yorker, "In Iowa, Democrats Court the Long-Overlooked Native American Vote," 21 Aug. 2019These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'prevail.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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More Definitions for prevail
prevail
verb
English Language Learners Definition of prevail
formal
: to defeat an opponent especially in a long or difficult contest
: to be usual, common, or popular
: to be or continue to be in use
See the full definition for prevail in the English Language Learners Dictionary
prevail
verb
pre·vail
| \ pri-ˈvāl
\
\
prevailed;
prevailing
Kids Definition of prevail
1
: to succeed in convincing
Students prevailed upon the teacher to extend recess.
2
: to be or become usual, common, or widespread
West winds prevail in that region.
3
: to win against opposition
Good will prevail over evil.
prevail
intransitive verb
pre·vail
| \ pri-ˈvāl
\
\
Legal Definition of prevail
1
: to obtain substantially the relief or action sought in a lawsuit
2
: to be frequent or predominant
the prevailing rate
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