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What is "prevail"

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prevail
Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English
prevail
verb
COLLOCATIONS FROM OTHER ENTRIES
common sense prevails (=is strong enough to make you do the sensible thing)
▪ Eventually common sense prevailed and they reached an agreement.
optimism prevails/reigns (=optimism is the strongest feeling)
▪ Despite the crisis, optimism prevailed.
the prevailing wind (=the most frequent wind in an area)
▪ The prevailing wind comes from the west.
COLLOCATIONS FROM CORPUS
■ ADVERB
always
▪ At the lowest level of local government, however, a certain uniformity had always prevailed.
▪ But conventional wisdom does not always prevail in politics.
▪ Or were these superficial appearances, against which Socialist solidarity would always prevail?
over
▪ In the interventionist state the executive is likely to prevail over the legislature.
▪ In so far as the idea of emancipation moved forward in government circles in 1856, the landless variety prevailed over the landed.
▪ This system prevailed over a colony whose territorial boundaries were not determined by the pre-colonial boundaries recognised by the indigenous populations.
▪ Despite the Bougainville crisis a general optimism prevailed over the long-term prospects for the mineral sector.
▪ By 1900 his radicalism had prevailed over his loyalty to his employer.
▪ They must be related to the conditions prevailing over several preceding days.
▪ In every case the draftsman should consider whether the plan is to prevail over the verbal description or viceversa.
still
▪ The report did not call for positive discrimination but suggested that male, old-school attitudes still prevailed in hospitals.
▪ At that time Freudianizm still prevailed, and Freudian theory was holy writ.
▪ I find this attitude hard to understand but it still prevails today.
▪ And that economic ancien regime still prevails in many parts of the world that are trying to go beyond it.
▪ That pleasing equilibrium between man, raffia, mud or whatever, does of course still prevail in various parts of the world.
▪ The culture of short-term perspectives still prevails.
upon
▪ Although they can be prevailed upon to interbreed in captivity, they never do so in the wild.
▪ Fernando Iturbe was next prevailed upon by Herrera to take up the problem of balancing the budget.
■ NOUN
atmosphere
▪ No alcohol was served but an atmosphere of uninhibited enjoyment prevailed.
▪ A pastoral atmosphere prevailed, despite the looming brick of the three-storey structure with its adjoining chapel and outlying houses.
▪ Mr Ratner, who is 41, quickly got rid of the snobby atmosphere which prevails in most independent jewellery stores.
▪ Apart from on Tuesdays, every effort was made by senior staff to ensure that an unfettered atmosphere prevailed.
case
▪ In other cases, circumstances of national moment prevailed.
▪ Only a very stubborn man could have believed that reason would prevail in a case such as this one.
end
▪ But Clinton would sign the Kennedy-Kassebaum version, which is thus likely to prevail in the end.
▪ And I knew that for some reason I wanted the positive side to prevail at the end.
law
▪ If this is not done, Gresham's law may well prevail: bad graphs will drive out the good.
▪ They recognize that no laws can prevail against the dissolution of the social connections and personal motivations that sustain a civilized polity.
rate
▪ International trade was to be encouraged by member countries maintaining par values for their currencies so that stable rates of exchange would prevail.
reason
▪ The venomous exchanges between deputies from the two republics in the Kremlin yesterday offered little hope that reason would prevail.
▪ Only a very stubborn man could have believed that reason would prevail in a case such as this one.
▪ Neither experts nor ordinary people understand why humanitarian reasons should prevail over elementary justice.
▪ Eventually reason will prevail, but only after the determining structures have developed.
sense
▪ Within families, villages and larger social groupings a sense of solidarity prevailed.
▪ His sense of personal loyalty prevailed.
▪ Certainly, he has a better sense of the prevailing trends than before.
situation
▪ Nor is it possible to return to the situation in which terror prevailed.
▪ The market supply and demand situation prevailing when economic profits become zero will determine the total amount of X produced.
▪ That situation prevails in states throughout the nation.
system
▪ But it has been further seen that strong justification is needed for adopting a system at variance with prevailing medical views.
▪ This system prevailed over a colony whose territorial boundaries were not determined by the pre-colonial boundaries recognised by the indigenous populations.
▪ The other major system of political economy prevailing in the world today is socialism.
▪ By necessity changes will take many years to enact a, id consequently the present system will prevail for some time.
▪ As in Kursk guberniia, the classical three-field system prevailed, but there was more variety.
▪ But a different system had prevailed at Wyvis Hall, or rather no system had prevailed at all.
view
▪ Molly Sheavyn was the only deaf member, and her views predictably did not prevail.
▪ Her point of view had prevailed.
▪ Since then a more balanced view has prevailed in which currents and waves are seen to act together.
▪ It is interesting to speculate what the consequences would have been for the curriculum if his view had prevailed.
▪ Eventually Teclis's view prevailed and the Colleges of Magic were established.
▪ Only Nikias mentions their specific brief from the People to proceed against Selinus, and his views do not prevail.
▪ For entirely practical reasons, Mr Adamec's view ought to prevail.
▪ Which of these views prevails today?
■ VERB
allow
▪ No democratic Government or society can allow such people to prevail.
▪ If this attitude is allowed to prevail there will be no room for different rates of development in our children.
continue
▪ If this life-blind model continues to prevail, it will impose a slow-motion catastrophe on humanity and the planet.
▪ In fact, similar managerial characteristics have continued to prevail in larger, technologically-advanced firms.
pay
▪ No one determines if the company is actually paying the prevailing wage.
seem
▪ Here, insularity seemed to prevail.
▪ In the Malthusian struggle of cat and bird, it seems that first one prevails and then the other.
▪ Much the same range of locations seems to prevail for the more romanized forms of housing.
PHRASES FROM OTHER ENTRIES
prevailing wind
▪ He also organized the compilation and publication of charts showing the prevailing winds and currents for each quarter of the year.
▪ He faces the open end to the east, away from the sun and prevailing wind.
▪ It was an entire nation of pragmatists, each individual swaying with the prevailing wind to ensure his or her own future.
▪ Protection from the prevailing wind can often be provided by rock outcrops or carefully planted shrubs in the background.
▪ They will adjust, bending like bamboos before the prevailing wind from the north.
▪ You must be reasonably fit and be sure you can handle the prevailing wind, weather and tidal conditions.
EXAMPLES FROM OTHER ENTRIES
▪ Fortunately, in this case, common sense has prevailed.
▪ If they prevail in court, they could receive up to $100,000.
▪ She seems to think that animal rights should prevail over everything else.
EXAMPLES FROM CORPUS
▪ Baby, baby, who's got the baby might be the prevailing motif in this work that entertains and intrigues simultaneously.
▪ But Clinton would sign the Kennedy-Kassebaum version, which is thus likely to prevail in the end.
▪ But it has been further seen that strong justification is needed for adopting a system at variance with prevailing medical views.
▪ His weaknesses were exposed by his Republican rivals in the primaries, but he prevailed because their weaknesses were even worse.
▪ In every case the draftsman should consider whether the plan is to prevail over the verbal description or viceversa.
▪ It is doubtful that Stilwell could have prevailed even if he had managed a better performance.
The Collaborative International Dictionary
Prevail

Prevail \Pre*vail"\, v. i. [imp. & p. p. Prevailed; p. pr. & vb. n. Prevailing.] [F. pr['e]valoir, OF. prevaleir, L. praevalere; prae before + valere to be strong, able, or worth. See Valiant.]

  1. To overcome; to gain the victory or superiority; to gain the advantage; to have the upper hand, or the mastery; to succeed; -- sometimes with over or against.

    When Moses held up his hand, Israel prevailed, and when he let down his hand, Amalek prevailed.
    --Ex. xvii. 11.

    So David prevailed over the Philistine.
    --1 Sam. xvii. 50.

    This kingdom could never prevail against the united power of England.
    --Swift.

  2. To be in force; to have effect, power, or influence; to be predominant; to have currency or prevalence; to obtain; as, the practice prevails this day.

    This custom makes the short-sighted bigots, and the warier skeptics, as far as it prevails.
    --Locke.

  3. To persuade or induce; -- with on, upon, or with; as, I prevailedon him to wait.

    He was prevailed with to restrain the Earl.
    --Clarendon.

    Prevail upon some judicious friend to be your constant hearer, and allow him the utmost freedom.
    --Swift.

Douglas Harper's Etymology Dictionary
prevail

c.1400, "be successful; be efficacious," from Old French prevaleir (Modern French prévaloir) and directly from Latin praevalere "be stronger, have greater power," from prae "before" (see pre-) + valere "have power, be strong" (see valiant). Spelling in English perhaps influenced by avail. Related: Prevailed; prevailing.

Wiktionary
prevail

vb. 1 (context intransitive 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. 2 (context intransitive English) To be current, widespread or predominant; to have currency or prevalence. 3 (context intransitive English) To succeed in persuade or induce.

Related phrases:
WordNet
prevail

  1. v. be larger in number, quantity, power, status or importance; "Money reigns supreme here"; "Hispanics predominate in this neighborhood" [syn: predominate, dominate, rule, reign]

  2. be valid, applicable, or true; "This theory still holds" [syn: hold, obtain]

  3. continue to exist; "These stories die hard"; "The legend of Elvis endures" [syn: persist, die hard, run, endure]

  4. prove superior; "The champion prevailed, though it was a hard fight" [syn: triumph]

  5. use persuasion successfully; "He prevailed upon her to visit his parents"

Related phrases:
Wikipedia
Prevail (IX-537)
Prevail (album)

Prevail is the ninth studio album by Canadian death metal band Kataklysm, released May 23, 2008 in Europe and June 6, 2008 in North America. Music videos were filmed for the tracks "Taking The World By Storm" and "Blood in Heaven".

Prevail (musician)

Kiley Hendriks (born November 4, 1975), better known by stage name Prevail, is a 4-time Juno Award winning Canadian hip hop artist raised in Victoria, British Columbia and based in Vancouver, British Columbia. Prevail is part of platinum-selling Swollen Members, which consists principally of himself and Mad Child. They have been called "two of the most innovative people in hip-hop". Aside from his extensive catalog with Swollen Members, Prevail released a side project entitled Code Name Scorpion with Abstract Rude and Moka Only in 2001, his first solo EP Baseball Bat and Nails in 2009, and a second solo EP with Ol' City Rocker titled Spasefase in 2012.

Prevail

Prevail may refer to:

  • Prevail (musician), a hip-hop artist from Vancouver
  • Prevail (album), an album by death metal band Kataklysm

Usage examples of "prevail".

The whole House howled its outrage, Clodius and Milo loudest of all, but Bursa could not be prevailed upon to withdraw his veto.

As usual, he has discovered that Magisterial might doth prevail over both Bursarial budgets and Presidential privileges.

Colegrove come from a full Court, the tradition of stare decisis, that prior decisions be allowed to stand, might have prevailed, and the prior ruling would not have been reconsidered.

Geneva and Lausanne I understood that a more than American exclusivism prevailed in families that held themselves to be peculiarly good, and believed themselves very old.

Leffingwell writes in his interesting and instructive book, is that which arises from the prevailing practice of experimentation for scientific purposes upon animals and human beings.

Should the king, they said, be able by force of arms to prevail over the parliament of England, and reestablish his authority in that powerful kingdom, he will undoubtedly retract all those concessions which, with so many circumstances of violence and indignity, the Scots have extorted from him.

However, we have run two thousand extrapolations of the outcome of such a request before the Curia, and all of them agree that you will not prevail.

The wind produced by the Galilean moons erupts from the Jovian magnetosphere at velocities exceeding those of even the prevailing solars.

Edinburgh on the twenty-second of March, where it was soon visible that the interest of the malecontents would entirely prevail.

Bonaparte, who seemed to acquire confidence from the presence of those who were about him, said a great deal about the agitation which prevailed among the republicans, and expressed himself in very decided terms against the Manege Club.

These, both of the English and American branches of the race, prevailed in the hotel diningroom, where the Marches had a mid-day dinner so good that it almost made amends for the steam-heating and electriclighting.

He reasoned himself into doubts of the Divine power and of the immortality of the soul, and finally left the island, nor was he heard of again for many years, though prayer was constantly made for him, and at length it became known that he had wandered to Serampore, where the influence of Marshman and Carey had prevailed to bring back his faith, but he had since been lost at sea.

A belief in the metempsychosis limited in the same way to the souls of children also prevailed among the Mexicans.

I see around the prevailing LENR lack-of-legitimacy misbelief is to expose people to the truth.

They have been taught that they will prevail in the end, so one Mong more or less does not matter.