PREVALENCE

Pronunciation (US):

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IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does prevalence mean? 

• PREVALENCE (noun)
  The noun PREVALENCE has 3 senses:

1. the quality of prevailing generally; being widespread

2. (epidemiology) the ratio (for a given time period) of the number of occurrences of a disease or event to the number of units at risk in the population

3. a superiority in numbers or amount

  Familiarity information: PREVALENCE used as a noun is uncommon.

 Dictionary entry details 

• PREVALENCE (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

The quality of prevailing generally; being widespread

Classified under:

Nouns denoting attributes of people and objects

Context example:

he was surprised by the prevalence of optimism about the future

Hypernyms ("prevalence" is a kind of...):

generality (the quality of being general or widespread or having general applicability)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "prevalence"):

currency (general acceptance or use)

Derivation:

prevail (continue to exist)

prevalent (most frequent or common)

Sense 2

Meaning:

(epidemiology) the ratio (for a given time period) of the number of occurrences of a disease or event to the number of units at risk in the population

Classified under:

Nouns denoting relations between people or things or ideas

Hypernyms ("prevalence" is a kind of...):

ratio (the relative magnitudes of two quantities (usually expressed as a quotient))

Domain category:

epidemiology (the branch of medical science dealing with the transmission and control of disease)

Sense 3

Meaning:

A superiority in numbers or amount

Classified under:

Nouns denoting attributes of people and objects

Synonyms:

preponderance; prevalence

Context example:

a preponderance of evidence against the defendant

Hypernyms ("prevalence" is a kind of...):

figure; number (the property possessed by a sum or total or indefinite quantity of units or individuals)

Derivation:

prevail (be larger in number, quantity, power, status or importance)

 Context examples 

2A2; Risk Assessment and Prevention; Surveillance; HIV surveys (incidence and prevalence)

(HIV Surveys, Incidence and Prevalence, NCI Thesaurus)

Blue light emitted from digital devices could contribute to the high prevalence of reported sleep dysfunction.

(Artificial Light of Digital Devices Lessens Sleep Quality, The Titi Tudorancea Bulletin)

The determination of the prevalence of erthrocytes with an elevated hemoglobin concentration.

(Hyperchromia Measurement, NCI Thesaurus)

HCM is one of the most common inherited cardiac disorders, with a prevalence in young adults of 1 in 500.

(Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy Pathway, NCI Thesaurus/KEGG)

In comparison, the prevalence of peanut allergy was 18.6 percent among those who had avoided peanut throughout LEAP and LEAP-On.

(Benefits of peanut allergy prevention strategy persist after one-year peanut avoidance, NIH)

"There are still many unanswered questions relating to the cause, incidence and prevalence of long-term effects of head trauma such as CTE," the statement read.

(Study: Brain Disease Found in Nearly All Deceased US Football Players, VOA News)

This measure of accuracy should only be used if the data on the prevalence of condition of interest in given population is available.

(Negative Predictive Value of Diagnostic Test, NCI Thesaurus)

Inflammation has been proven to play a major role in a number of normal processes in humans, but it also fosters diseases, many of which are increasing in prevalence and severity.

(Natural protein points to new inflammation treatment, NIH)

They are blended, said he, I acknowledge; and, were she prosperous, I could allow much for the occasional prevalence of the ridiculous over the good.

(Emma, by Jane Austen)

It includes statistical information on etiology, incidence, prevalence, age of onset and prognosis.

(Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 3rd Edition, NCI Thesaurus)