English · Word Candidate

prevail

/pɹɪˈveɪl/

Proposed by a contributor, not yet supported by evidence.

Also seen as: prevails · prevailing · prevailed

Sense 1

Meaning · English

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.

Verb

Examples

Red colour prevails in the Canadian flag.

Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01)

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01 via kaikki.org).

Sense 2

Meaning · English

To triumph; to be victorious.

Verb

Examples

There are a number of SCPs and tales that look at potential apocalypses, but rarely with such totality as SCP-2935, a parallel dimension in which death prevailed.

Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01)

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01 via kaikki.org).

Common questions

What does “prevail” mean?

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.

Is “prevail” formal or informal?

No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.