prevalence
Prevalence (noun) means How common or widespread something is in a particular place or group. Example: “The survey found a high prevalence of second jobs among nurses.”
How to Use Prevalence
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishHow common something is.
Slightly formal in general use; a precisely defined technical term in medicine and public health.
Prevalence answers 'how many people have it?'; incidence answers 'how many people got it this year?'
Trace the full origin ↓Fill the Gap
Can you complete this real example?
The survey found a high _____ of second jobs among nurses.
Etymology
From Latin praevalere meaning 'to have greater power or be stronger', from prae 'before' and valere 'to be strong'.
Synonyms
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Rhymes for prevalence
See all rhymes for prevalence →Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between prevalence and incidence?
Prevalence counts all existing cases in a population at a given time, new and old together. Incidence counts only new cases arising over a defined period. A long-lasting illness can have low incidence but high prevalence, because cases accumulate rather than resolve.
What is point prevalence versus period prevalence?
Point prevalence measures how many people have the condition at one specific moment, like the day of a survey. Period prevalence counts anyone who had it at any time within a window, such as a year, so it is always the larger figure.
How is prevalence calculated?
Divide the number of people with the condition by the total number of people in the population being studied, then express it as a percentage or a rate such as cases per 100,000. Both numbers must come from the same population and the same time frame for the figure to mean anything.