prevalence
gb/pɹˈɛvələns/ us/pɹˈɛvələns/
B2
English
~ 6100
Senses
0 senses
Noun
B2
state
1
how common something is
How common something is in a place, group, or time.
Usage pattern:
the prevalence of [something] (in [group/place])
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse "prevalence" with "trend." "Prevalence" describes how common something is at a particular time, while a "trend" describes how something is changing over time. Spelling mistakes like *prevailance* are also common. Also, learners may say *many prevalences*; in normal use it is almost always uncountable, used in phrases like "a high prevalence of X" rather than "many prevalences."
Synonyms
commonness (Very close in meaning; slightly more informal and less often used in academic writing.)
|
frequency (Focuses more on how often something happens over time, while "prevalence" is about how widespread it is at a given time.)
|
widespreadness (Less common word; emphasizes spread across an area or group in a similar way to "prevalence.")
Antonyms
rarity (Direct opposite; describes something that is not common or widespread.)
|
scarcity (Highlights that something exists in very small amounts, the opposite of being widespread.)
Collocations
the prevalence of
|high prevalence
|increasing prevalence
|prevalence rate
|prevalence among
|prevalence in the population
Themes
society
|health
|statistics
|science
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- Researchers are worried about the growing prevalence of obesity in children.
- The study examined the prevalence of smartphone use among teenagers.
- There is a high prevalence of smoking in this region compared with the national average.
- We need better data on the prevalence of mental health problems in the workplace.
- The prevalence of online shopping has changed how many stores do business.
Learner examples
- The prevalence of fast food is a problem in many cities.
- There is a high prevalence of car use in this country.
- Scientists measured the prevalence of this habit in young people.
- The prevalence of internet use is very high today.
- We talked about the prevalence of stress at work.
Noun
technical
C1
quantity
2
rate of a disease in a population
In health and science, the share of people in a group who have a certain disease or condition at a given time.
Usage pattern:
[disease/condition] prevalence (in [group/place])
Common mistake:
Learners often confuse "prevalence" with "incidence." "Prevalence" is how many people in a population have a condition at a certain time, while "incidence" is how many new cases appear over a period of time. Saying *the incidence is very high in the population at any given time* is usually incorrect if you mean prevalence.
Synonyms
disease rate (Informal equivalent; less precise than the technical term "prevalence.")
|
proportion (A general statistics term; in context it can refer to prevalence but is not specific to health or disease.)
Antonyms
absence (In epidemiological reporting, indicates that a disease or condition is not present at all in a population, the practical opposite of having measurable prevalence.)
|
eradication (Used when a disease has been completely removed from a population, effectively reducing its prevalence to zero.)
Collocations
disease prevalence
|prevalence rate
|HIV prevalence
|point prevalence
|lifetime prevalence
|prevalence data
Themes
health
|medicine
|science
|statistics
Examples
- The report shows a higher prevalence of diabetes in low‑income communities.
- Researchers estimated the lifetime prevalence of depression in the adult population.
- HIV prevalence has fallen in the region due to effective prevention programs.
- The study compares the point prevalence of asthma in urban and rural areas.
- Accurate prevalence data are essential for planning public health services.
Learner examples
- Doctors studied the prevalence of HIV in that country.
- The prevalence of this disease is very low in children.
- We need to know the prevalence of cancer in this area.
- They measured the prevalence of heart problems in older men.
- The government tracks the prevalence of flu every year.
Grammar
Dictionary form
prevalence
IPA
GB/pɹˈɛvələns/
US/pɹˈɛvələns/
Syllables & stress
pre - val - ence (3 syllables)
Stress on 1st syllable (pre)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: prevalence
- Plural: prevalence, prevalences
Word family
Expressions
high prevalence of
1/hˈaɪ pɹˈɛvələns əv/
fixed phrase
describing that something is very common
Used before a noun to say that this thing is found in many people or places in a group.
Examples
- The region has a high prevalence of heart disease.
- They found a high prevalence of smartphone use among children.
- A high prevalence of poverty can affect school performance.
low prevalence of
1/lˈoʊ pɹˈɛvələns əv/
fixed phrase
describing that something is not common
Used before a noun to say that this thing is found in only a few people or places in a group.
Examples
- There is a low prevalence of the disease in this area.
- Countries with strong vaccination programs often show a low prevalence of measles.
- The survey reported a low prevalence of smoking among university students.
prevalence rate
1/pɹˈɛvələns ɹˈeɪt/
fixed phrase
technical
numerical measure of prevalence
A number that shows what share of a group has a certain disease or condition at a given time.
Examples
- The prevalence rate of diabetes increased from 5% to 8% in ten years.
- Researchers calculated the prevalence rate for each age group.
- The country has one of the lowest HIV prevalence rates in the region.
the prevalence of
1/ðə pɹˈɛvələns əv/
fixed phrase
introducing how common something is
Used before a noun to talk about how common that thing is in a group, place, or time.
Examples
- The prevalence of obesity has increased among teenagers.
- Many studies discuss the prevalence of mental health problems in universities.
- Governments are concerned about the prevalence of smoking in young adults.