prevail
English
Etymology
From (deprecated template usage) [etyl] Middle English prevailen, from (deprecated template usage) [etyl] Old French prevaler, from (deprecated template usage) [etyl] Latin praevaleō (“be very able or more able, be superior, prevail”), from prae (“before”) + valeō (“be able or powerful”).
Pronunciation
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.
- Template:RQ:Authorized Version, 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.
- (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
Related terms
Translations
To be superior in strength, dominance, influence or frequency; to have or gain the advantage over others; to have the upper hand
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To be current, widespread or predominant; to have currency or prevalence
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To succeed in persuading or inducing
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References
- “prevail”, in The Century Dictionary […], New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911, →OCLC.
- “prevail”, in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam, 1913, →OCLC.
Anagrams
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